Day 38: Oberlin, Kansas: "Gently Resisting Change"

Finally! Another chance to update! I would explain but, I mean, it's rural Kansas. I'm sure you can imagine that the internet is a rare commodity.

That's not to knock rural Kansas at all. Our time out in America's geographical heart has been absolutely lovely. The mornings have given way to beautiful sunny summer days, and the wide, open, rolling hills of wheat and wildgrass, sprinkled with the occasional fence, tractor, and herd of cattle, make it profoundly clear that we are, suddenly, out of nowhere, in the mighty West.

Clay Center wasn't exactly full of hustle and bustle, but that was great because it kind of forced people to stay in, chill, and bond. I actually wound up discovering one of my new favorite movies that night: "Into The Wild". Jen, Heather, Raleigh and Jesse all insisted since the start of the trip that I would love it, and loving it might still be an understatement. It was a really well-done film. It romanticizes travel, adventure and people in a way that makes me want to keep moving at a pace like this for the rest of my life, and it reaffirms my faith in the positive spiritual power of nature and exploration. Also the soundtrack is really good, and it's peppered with these great quotes from the transcendentalist era, which I'm all for. I even enjoyed the ending. Really I found it just more...powerful than sad.

After the screening of Into The Wild the night gave way to a fantastic cuddling session. Bike & Builders are an affectionate bunch.

So then there was the ride to Beloit the next morning, which was filled with the iconic images I've grown accustomed to thinking of when I think of this state. Moving across this part of the country actually feels a lot more like sailing than biking. First of all, we are at the mercy of the wind, and many times over the last few days I've found myself hooting, hollering, and in weaker moments swearing as we get tossed around by the unforgiving headwinds. If I wasn't before, I'm now a big believer in wind power. Not only do the windmills out here look awesome, but there's just so much raw power out here that can be utilized. Second, the seemingly endless horizon and rolling golden waves of grain. It's like an ocean, and we are like little ships, moving from island to island, treated on occasion to the images of nature's splendor but for the most part left to ponder and reflect as we cross the landscape.

Hay bails dotted the countryside and the team now has some really fantastic requisite On-Top-Of-Hay-Bails photos. After most people started rolling away I layed out on m back and just stared up at the sky for a few minutes. Thinking. Appreciating. being aware and feeling free. It was summer defined.

For the ride to Beloit we agreed as a team to mix it up and ride with folks we usually don't ride with, and I had the privilege of riding with Sarah Crawford, who I always suspected was a really good person, but am absolutely certain after that ride. We had a great talk. About some pretty profound stuff. It came at the perfect time because to be honest I've been in an inexplicable funk for the last few days, and I think it's because I have allowed myself to get complacent and stop searching for the spiritual value in this trip. Now that part's entirely recharged, though. I'm moving with purpose. I'm listening for direction. I'm allowing this trip to really change me and it feels good.

So that's half the inspiration for the title for this update. I've been feeling a little lost and distracted, but the magnitude of this state and journey has helped me rediscover why I'm doing this. I joined this trip because I felt compelled and was looking for growth through challenge. I'm now recommitted. I haven't felt this good about myself in a long time.

The second bit of inspiration for the title is that I saw it on a shirt in the town that night. "Beloit, Kansas: Gently Resisting Change Since 1830!"

Folks really cling to tradition out here and I think it's because it's been proven to work. It's also a means by which to honor a person's roots. These towns have been quaint and quiet and charmingly conservative. We enjoyed some delicious malts and floats at the soda fountain in Beloit and I felt like I was part of a way of life that stretched back for decades. We meandered over to the municipal center to get our showers and I was pulled to inspect this collage of portraits of all of Beloit's mayors. Jesse and I decided, based off their portraits, which one was the evil one, the one every body wishes was still mayor, the mysterious one, etc. The first mayor of Beloit, a man by the name of Hersey, looked and dressed like Abraham Lincoln, but his beard was even more serious business. History's neat. People are neat. And, on a shallower level, mid-to-late 19th century fashion rides this awesome line between "sharp" and "hilarious".

having seen all of Beloit I needed to see I returned to the church and enjoyed a nap on an actual cushion. Another rare commodity. I literally slept until I was shook awake for dinner. I groggily fumbled for my laptop because that night I was meant to give my Affordable Housing presentation to the group. I was prepared like a month ago when we started the trip, but a month of non-stop motion and 1700 miles under my wheels led me rushing to refamiliarize myself with the information.

I got lucky though. Someone caught wind that Toy Story 3 was playing at the local theater, and the excitement of going to see the movie spread like wildfire. It didn't take much to persuade the leaders to postpone presentations. By 7:15 we were out the door, moving as a massive pack towards a theater that was literally the size of a small barn. The movie was great. I highly, *highly* recommend that people go see it, but especially folks of my generation. The story, especially the ending, is really catered to folks like me who grew up spell-bound by the original two Toy Story movies. It was satisfying, inspiring, and just downright entertaining. I even shed a tear at the end. Disney is great.

The next morning was the ride to Phillipsburg, which aesthetically isn't really notably different from the ride in between Clay Center and Beloit. Still wide. Still rolling. Still colorful. Still stunningly beautiful. During the morning I was part of a massive pace-line. Traffic was calm enough to where we were able to do a double-line, both lines at least eight riders strong. We moved fast and with tremendous purpose, and I was overwhelmed with a sense of Team. This team is great, these people are great, and we have already accomplished some great things. It's an honor to ride with these folks and share this experience. I've never felt so close to a group in just over a month, and they've taught me that with the right friends on my side I really can do anything I set myself to do.

So we rolled as a mighty herd of bikers across the plains. For those first 19 miles we hummed. Our destination was Phillipsburg, but the whole team was dreaming of Cawker City, home of the World's Largest Ball of Twine.

At mile 20 Derrick excitedly screamed and pointed out the ball, which was under a gazebo just off the road. I can't lie. That was certainly a big ball of twine. According to the sign it was started in the fifties, and the total length of the twine used to make it was about 1500 miles, just a little less than the distance we've biked. *That* was a cool thought, reflecting on all of our work and seeing it physically symbolized in this enormous ball of twine. Naturally we all climbed it and took pictures. We all got ironically excited. I signed the guest book and met Lettie, keeper of the ball, and a woman name Linda, her accomplice, who let me add a piece of twine to the ball.

That was also a surprisingly cool moment. I walked around the ball, adding my string, and thought about all the other people and stories which have gone into creating that big smelly ball. People are neat.

We danced around the ball and Derrick led us in a very New Age session in which we drew power from the ball and exerted it out into the world. After we were wholly satisfied we moved along and cranked it to lunch. Many of us got a kick out of watching Britt, who has been riding in the van for the last few days do to a spill she took which banged up her hip. She was totally content at the time though, buzzing on percocet and drawing interesting images in the road with our chalk.


After lunch I rode with Emily, Jesse, and Kristen, and we passed the time by doing "Top 5" lists. My favorite was the Top 5 ridiculous action movies list I tossed back and forth with Jesse. Nothing beats Indiana Jones. That's science.

Before we knew it we were in Phillipsburg, and we enjoyed a celbratory round of burgers and fries at a local institution called the Chubby Pickle. Now, there are many different ways a hamburger can be delicious. There are the grilled burgers with families, the gourmet burgers at upscale restaurants, but the best is the greaseball burger, and Phillipsburg's "Super Chubby" is one of the best I may ever have. It was just all kinds of satisfying. Nothing fancy, just a really good burger with fries and a cold root beer. I was left totally satisfied, and also scored a really amazing shirt. The logo is great, with a creepy pickle mascot waving out to you, and the city name and the name of the highway we've been biking through Kansas on. The real clincher though is the color, which can only be described as "Neon Glow Stick Yellow". I swear this shirt actually radiates light. It's absurd. It's the best souvenir I've maybe ever gotten.

I fell into my traditional afternoon nap and again was only stirred awake when dinenr rolled around. This was a new host in Phillipsburg, so we had the privilege of introducing them to all things Bike & Build. Dinner crew gave a great presentation and I cameo'd to describe my outfit from Dia de los Locos. The congregation was all kinds of sweet, especially an older woman named Eve who insisted on giving us all hugs, and another woman who, inspecting Heather's tattoos, folksily commented her belief that "If God wanted me to have funny pictures all over my body I figure he'd've put 'em there. But heck, it's a new generation".

We had another great Town Hall meeting, all of us sharing our highs and lows, reading warm fuzzies, and this time also each confessing to something, because we're now officially comfortable with each other to a fault.

Then today we rode to Oberlin! The morning started off with jazz, a hot breakfast, and some coffee, so by the time I hopped on the bike I was beyond ready to roll. I rode at my own pace for most of the morning, which was uncharacteristically fast, but I didn't see a reason to slow down. I cranked through a great headwind and continued to soak in the countryside. My favorite moment of the morning was when I rode past a group of cows, and they all at once decided to run alongside me. They didn't keep up for long becase, well, they're cows, but it was a cool little connection. I found myself exploring the fascinating cultural perception of cows. In the States, they're considered pretty low animals. In India, they're sacred. Every creature is sacred, really.

Lunch was right across the street from a Dairy Queen. Since the temperature was supposed to work up to over 100 by the afternoon many of us decided to wait around, nap, and wait for the DQ to open to get some ice cream. I enjoyed a fantastic banana split and discussed plans for the "Brolympics" with Joe and Will. That's a story for another post. Get excited.

Not much new to speak of for the ride into Oberlin. More sun, more wheat, more fields, more cows, more of that wide open space and that sense that I'm no longer anywhere close to home, and I'm truly working along the frontier. The way the hills are laid out here you could see Oberlin from 5 miles away, which was a very cool sensation. Like Zach said at dinner, I felt like a cowboy working across the frontier, riding on my iron horse into a new town to write a new story.

So tonight I gave my presentation on Rent Control and was happily surprised by how much the group enjoyed it. I had a few people come up to me afterwards and tell me that not only were they impressed at how easily I broke down the idea of price ceilings and supply and demand, but it was evidence that I woulf be a great teacher some day. Tht was great for my ego.

Aaaaaaaaand that's about all I have to say. I didn't realize how packed these days were until I saw how long this post was just now. These have been good days. For now I will sleep to prepare for my sweep day into St. Francis tomorrow. Colorado in two days! Denver on Monday! Whoa!