Friends,My time on the road is over. After several hundred miles (not quite all walking), the Eureka College "Juice" deposited Mary and I at a Cracker Barrel in Grove City two days ago. I bring home with me tremendous memories, visual experiences, and a sense of awe that is renewed when I think about this wonderful country. The beautiful Shenandoah valley, the Mtns of the Appalachians, and all the little communities on some of the highways and byways....what an amazing country we have. And I think about visiting Arlington National Cemetery, being overcome with tears for the families of those who have lost loved ones, and seeing section 60, where the current soldiers are being buried in our present war against inhumanity. Seeing and walking in places where Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Kennedy, and others walked. Looking across one end of the mall and seeing Lincoln's memorial. Looking across the other and seeing Washington's. Awe-inspiring. While I do not recommend all the walking, I recommend taking this trip. We all need pilgrimmages, struggles to help us remember the past and appreciate what we have. I marvel at the soldiers in wars past who marched on foot up to 15 miles a day, over rough terrain. When I even think of JQ Adams walking from the executive mansion to the potomac for a swim, I am awed and disappointed at how sedentary we have become. However, this was a great experience, but it was time to come home. I made some tremendous friends along the way, like Kansas--the smartest slacker I have ever met; Eddie, who will make a fine history teacher; Hope and JohnDunn, who I hope stick it out and grow together (thanks for hanging back with me on those walks). Cahill, who I hope gets more experiences and develops and it was nice to meet Sara and Lauren. All had their good points and bad points, all at some point were ticked at me and vice versa, but we came together and survived 14 days on the road. 5 popped blisters, two rickety knees, and about 200 miles on foot, I am ready to go back to work. Hopefully, over the next few days, I will get more pics out there and you can see some of what I saw, and I will hopefully get more thoughts down on computer. Until then, beware RINOS, uberlibs, and mambypambies, I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
----MARK
