Today was quite an amazing day. I can’t tell you everything that happened because there just isn’t time. You had to be here to experience it all! But I am going to tell you what *I* think were the highlights. I will do a quick run through of what we did, but then I want to talk about the thoughts that went through my mind during the day.
Of course, we began our day “as usual.” You know, with the Pledge of Allegiance, then announcements from our Route Coordinator, Road Guard Captain, the reading of an MIA biography, a 50/50 raffle, and other “general” announcements. I won’t “bore” you with the details of this every day, because they are all very much the same, but with enough differences to make each morning unique and poignant. It may be hard to imagine, but I actually look forward to these morning Riders Meetings!
We soon took off and headed east on the highway. It was cool but not cold, breezy but not windy, humid but not damp, … okay you get the picture. It was a FINE day for riding, and we did a lot of it. Our Road Guards did get quite a workout (again) keeping us safe with all of the construction zones and traffic. These guys really do work hard, and I am so thankful that we have them!
At noon, we arrived in Russellville, AR for our “picnic lunch.” It wasn’t much of a picnic. It was a full-blown, delicious MEAL! We even had some homemade cookies! (Yes, I at my cookies first!) THEN I followed it up with some wonderful BBQ chicken, green beans, cole slaw, and hominy. (“Hominy” do you think I had?) 
But before we could have this scrumptious fare, we had to walk a gauntlet of Patriot Guard Riders “standing the Flag Line.” As a PGR Rider myself, I can tell you that it is quite an honor to “stand the Flag line.” But to be the recipient of said line is amazing! These Patriots WANT to honor us, and they always do it with grace and style. Thank You, Russellville PGR for such a warm and heart-felt Welcome!
All too soon, it was time to leave and get back out on the highway. We hugged our new Russellville friends and promised to return again next year!
Another hundred miles and we were in Forrest City, AR, where the Ridgewood Baptist Church served us an equally fine dinner. The food was great, but the Fellowship and comradery was even better. They always do this for us, they feed our bodies AND our souls. We are all a little better off for having visited here.
But now I want to jump back in time, to the very beginning of our day. First, today is Sunday, and for Run For The Wall that means EARLY morning church services with our Chaplains. (Attendance is not mandatory, but it is always amazing to see almost all of our Riders gather on Sunday morning.) What you need to know about our Chaplains is that they are here for EVERYBODY, so the services are non-denominational. In fact, they aren’t “preachy” at all. This morning, Chaplain Steve “Cherokee” Dow spoke a quick message of inspiration and hope that really set the mood for me today. He spoke about having scars: Scars that were caused by both physical and mental adversities. He explained how our scars, and we ALL have them, don’t define who we are or what we went through, but more the fact that we DID get through the ordeals. And this got me to thinking about a recent event in my life. Please bear with me as I “think” this will all make sense.
I have a couple of puppies at home. Two Boston Terrier Bulldog siblings, a little girl, Raia, and my little boy, Winston. We have had them for about two years and I love them both equally. We do a lot of playing every day, we go on walks, we sneak a few snacks when Kathy isn’t watching, and just have a lot of fun. But I have been traveling a lot lately, and it seems to be bothering Winston. As I was packing up to leave for RFTW, He wouldn’t play with me, or lick my hand, or do any of the hundreds of little things that we do together. In fact, he just laid in his bed and ignored me. (Raia, the little girl, was just as happy as ever and didn’t seem to mind that I was leaving.)
A couple of days later, Kathy told me that he was still acting lethargic and basically moping around the house. He was depressed. She sent me a picture, and I could immediately tell that he was sad. Kathy put me on speaker phone so that I could talk to him, and he immediately perked up when he heard my voice. But after the call was over, he went back to being sad. In order to make him feel better, Kathy gave him one of my old t-shirts to cuddle up on, and that is where he is spending his days right now.
And then I got a call that simply broke my heart. Winston heard a motorcycle in the neighborhood and immediately started barking and prancing around and acting like his same old happy self. But when the garage didn’t open and I didn’t walk through that door, he immediately started sulking again. And now, every time a motorcycle goes by, he perks up his ears and waits. But each time, it is a little less enthusiastic. He is missing me and he is sad.
I am not telling you this to make YOU sad. On the contrary, I hope it will make you happy, and here is why: Winston has an emotional “scar” because we are not together. He doesn’t understand why I am not there. But every time a bike goes by, he has Hope that I will return. As this cycle repeats, his “scars” will deepen and his hope will diminish. (Go ahead, cry just a little. But the happy part is coming!) Soon, I WILL be home, and I will spend days just holding him, playing with him, and re-assuring him that all is well and that I still love him. The “emotional scars” may remain for a while, but as we all know, scars fade with time. The HOPE he has for my return will once again fill his heart, and the happiness we share together will HEAL the hurt. All will be Happy again!
So now WHY did I just tell you that story? Because if a little puppy that doesn’t understand what is going on around him can have a scar or wound, find hope for the future, and then be healed of the hurt, think just how much better can life be for our Veterans and for their Families!
We can talk to our Veterans. We can Listen to our Veterans. We can reassure them that we love and honor them. We can show them Respect. And they will understand! The Riders of Run For The Wall do this every day of their lives. We are always there to lend a hand, offer a shoulder to cry on, listen to those that want to talk, or just sit there quietly so that our Veterans know that they aren’t alone. We offer a little bit of emotional security in a very tough world.
So what did we do today? We rode a lot of miles. We had fellowship and fun. We paid honor and respect to those that need and deserve it. We laughed together, cried together, and consoled each other. We saw the “scars” and offered “hope” for “healing.”
And we did it with the thoughts that Chaplain “Cherokee” put in our minds this morning. From the book of Lamentations 3:19-24:
I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.
This is Why We Ride!
Jim “Hoofer” McCrain (and Winston!)
