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Sowing Peace

Sowing Peace

The sowing peace initiative is my main focus. In “THE ALTERNATIVE” I give an example of a cooperative society as an alternative to war. It seems that we all could do a lot better if we would learn to cooperate.

During my travels I had a few mishaps. The friendliness and help received from small town people was overwhelming. When a bearing fell out of my trailer near Dresden, I got it replaced at no charge. Near Atwood, a man with a motorcycle gave me his last twenty dollars to buy a book. People I had never met before gave me a bed for the night and breakfast in the morning at Molesworth.  At the Listowel Chamber of Commerce visitor information center, the staff was very friendly, gave me the information I needed, charged my tablet and allowed me to use their computer while I waited out the heat of the day.

In the big cities it seems everyone is busy chasing the dollar. Although many are helpful and friendly, this seems to be more prevalent in the smaller municipalities. The atmosphere seems more relaxed and people are more willing to spend time to help out anyone who has a need.

This is the main lesson I learned on my bicycle trip. I also learned that I should not have a schedule to keep. Weather and breakdowns can lead to unexpected delays. I accepted a ride from Tavistock to Guelph as I did not want to miss the anniversary service at the Conn Church. On the return trip I accepted a ride from Tavistock to London because I was not sure I would get home on time for my doctor appointment. It would have been nice to bike the whole way, but strong headwinds caused exhaustion and delay and then the heat made me fear a bout of heat stroke.

I would like to try again but I would need to keep in mind that I will need a lot of rest stops. I am comfortable with 40 – 60 km per day, but if I am bucking a headwind, 40 km is plenty. I don’t mind a little rain, but the sun on a hot day can be deadly.

In the future I may attempt a ride to Ottawa, a distance of about 700km. It would likely take me three weeks.

George McNeish, Author of THE ALTERNATIVE, Begins Bike Tour at 64.

George McNeish, Author of THE ALTERNATIVE, Begins Bike Tour at 64.

George McNeish knew from an early age that he was destined to be an author. What he didn’t know is, at the age of 64, he would be learning how to market his first book with no money to invest. This calls for thinking outside the box and coming up with strategies that have never been tried before.

McNeish has been extremely blessed. Although not with material means, he has a healthy body and is able to endure much physical activity. Therefore, using a bicycle that was given to him and a trailer made out of scrap parts, he has decided to pedal his book. Having also been gifted with an ability for graphic design, he has had banners printed and will be hitting the road on Wednesday June 15, 2016. You may have already seen him biking around London with his trailer behind him. He needed to test out his equipment and build his endurance while getting used to pulling a trailer. The worst problem is wind resistance. The 3 foot banners on the front and back act like sails, which is great if you are traveling with the wind, but when pedalling into the wind it feels like going uphill all the time.

As past chair of the Fugitive Slave Chapel Preservation Project, McNeish was inspired to write about the people who built the chapel. While researching he found many interesting facts. The Abolitionist, John Brown, spoke at the chapel in 1858, the year before his ill fated raid at Harpers Ferry. When reading about the devastating civil war that this raid triggered, McNeish began to wonder if things could have turned out differently. Thus sidetracked from the history, his first book became an historic fiction. The book about the Slave Chapel is still in the works.

His first book, “THE ALTERNATIVE, Is There an Alternative to War,” looks at slavery and how it lead to civil war. His fictional characters took on a life of their own and struggled to change the outcome of history. More about the book is at http://www.alternative.9li.ca/.

McNeish is also looking into family history and will be researching that during his first trip. He is planning to take about two days to reach Guelph, Ontario. There he will visit his 90 year old dad and help him fix bicycles. He will then travel to Conn, Ontario for the 150 anniversary celebration of Knox Presbyterian Church, the church his father attended as a child and one often visited by the family.

Taking small steps, McNeish will test his endurance and gradually widen his sphere of travel. He thinks that Ottawa and other Ontario destinations may be realised this year. If all goes well, he may attempt a cross Canada bike tour in 2017 when he will be 65 years old. By then he hopes to have a couple of more books added to his repertoire.

George McNeish is willing to speak on many themes revolving around World Peace. His book revolves around a theme of cooperation versus competition. His is always ready to talk about the merits of a cooperative society.