Dark Days on the Trek

One of my fellow trekkers crashed 2 days ago. He was helivaced to a trauma unit. He underwent immediate surgery to attend to his fractured skull and relieve the hematoma in his brain. He lies in ICU unconscious. His prognosis and future is undetermined. His wife and children wait patiently by his side. All we all can do now is wait...

The conditions on the road at the moment of the crash were as innocent as could be. This could have happened anytime, anywhere...on a bike, in a car, on an adventure, on our way to work, on our way to dinner.

The group rides on. The group has become even closer as we unite our energy and send it to our compadre. The 2 doctors in our group help us understand, the priest in our group helps us understand, and we all help each other channel positive energy to our friend.

On this trip we all share experiences of difficult long days in the seat. When we are at home we struggle with relationships, or seem to suffocate under the pressure of life' stress and anxiety. But all this suffering and struggle pale in comparison to our friends predicament. In fact yhe latter all seems like a luxury, like a privilege.

We have crossed into Missouri and are also 2/3 of the way across the country. It seems like yesterday that this journey began.