Name: Diann “Mojo” McKee
E-Mail: mojorftw@att.net
Phone: 432-368-1822
City: Odessa
State: Texas
FNG Story:
To the FNGs – both current & future!
As I read the recent FNG stories, it makes me remember my own FNG year, 2003, and that same awesome feeling I had after participating in such an emotionally charged event. I, too, was hooked on RFTW by the time I made it to DC. Even though I rode that year in honor of some Nam vet friends, the friendships I made & my observations of the run’s riders & their healing journeys impacted me greatly. Doesn’t it affect all of us, though? And that is why I was more than eager to work in whatever capacity I could for RFTW that very next year. Long story short, I’ve been state coordinator for part of Texas for the past 6 years. I’ve also worked on the Advanced Team in the past, back when it was still in the concept stage, and am currently a platoon leader.
As in all organizations, it takes people with various gifts & talents to make “the whole” complete & efficient. RFTW is no different. I surely don’t have to list all the duties—the FNGs saw the work done every day. Some of the workers, though, (and there are over a hundred each year that help make this run happen), have an extra special gift, whether they were on the fuel team, chase team or in merchandising. I’ve seen it year after year. And that extra gift is their ability to make the FNGs feel comfortable in showing their feelings or in sharing their stories. Somehow, despite their hectic, busy duties, these workers stop long enough to help in whatever way they can, seeing that window of opportunity. It could be by lending an ear for even 5 minutes, or to follow up on how the rider is doing later that day. I admire these people that give so much on the run.
What I hope to convey to the FNGs is this—some of us are better at the “mechanics” of the run than with the helping of the riders & the emotional healing side. This is not to say that we don’t care—because we do! I feel that I am a “mechanic.” I take very seriously my job of making sure the stops in my area of TX run smoothly, yet are ones that the riders will remember with fond & healing memories. Likewise, I work to make the platoon an enjoyable and safe one. When we platoon leaders have to get stern with the group or individuals about an issue, please know that it is for the safety of not only that person but also for the whole group. At other times, I know that I am running around crazily trying to get things done, not having time to stop & chat.
During my FNG year, I could not tell you anything about the platoon leaders that helped lead us along the way. But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t do their job, which was to help get us from Point A to Point B. I definitely remember the Road Guards, and I gained an immense respect for these men who put themselves on the line to keep us safe. I remember Papa Smurf, the route coordinator. And I remember making friends with the riders, and seeing that I had found a new family. It didn’t matter that I was civilian—I was accepted. What I’m saying is that even though not all us workers are able to help relieve shoulders of burdens, we are there working because we want you to find that healing
like we did. We care, because we remember how much our first run helped us, whether or not we remember who worked it. Many of us want to return that gift. We want you to return home with healing in your hearts & minds, and with a sense of pride and accomplishment of your journey. But most of all, that you have, indeed, found a new family.
Diann “Mojo” McKee
