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.