Of Banjos and Bikes and Goats and Goals

The temperature was nudging 90 last Thursday as I eased my bike onto the Katy Trail and started pedaling the ten miles from Jefferson City, Mo. to Hartsburg.  A couple of minutes after reaching my destination and was resting up for the return trip my eyes beheld an unusual sight.  A slender, well-tanned guy with an abundance of tattoos rode up on a heavily-laden bike. He was wearing only bicycle pants, running shoes and a smile.  That's not the unusal part.  The unusual part was the banjo he had firmly mounted on the rear of his bike.  

                                                                                       

The rider's name was Jacob George and he had just pedaled the 300 or so miles from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Hartsburg, Mo.   He is on his way to Chicago where a NATO meeting will be held later this month.   He plans to let world leaders know how he feels about the war in Afghanistan. As they might say in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas where Jacob was raised, "he's agin it".  He speaks from a position of knowledge - he's served 3 tours of duty there as a paratrooper.  In the meantime, he's pedaling his bike, plucking his banjo, making new friends - and burning calories.  In the past 2 years Jacob has ridden 7000 miles.  When he started he weighed 155 pounds.  Now he says it's a struggle to maintain 125 pounds.  His cholesterol is probably  -10.

Jacob George at the Hartsburg Station on the Katy Trail

Jacob is also promoting "Operation Awareness" about how riding bikes can be therapeutic for Vets.  You can learn more about his organization at http://www.operationawareness.org/

As it turned out, Jacob is not the only one crossing Missouri to promote a cause right now.  Five guys and a goat named "Wrigley" are currently walking between Springfield and St. Louis, also on their way to Chicago.  They started in California (the state, not the city in Missouri).  Their mission is to break the "Cubbie Curse" and bring a World Series Championship to the Chicago Cubs.  You can follow their progress at http://blog.crackthecurse.com/.  As I type this blog they are ending day 70 of their journey.   

Godspeed to Jacob on his way to Chicago.  I share his hope for an end to the war in Afghanistan.  I also share his love of biking and banjos.

Good luck also to those poor, crazy Cub fans as they trudge through Cardinal Country. 

An end to the Afghan war is an elusive but achievable goal.   A world championship for the Cubbies?  

Now that's just crazy talk.