July 4

It's funny that my thoughts on Sea to Sea have so little to do with riding.
Sure, I think about water and comfort (or the absence of such things).
But most of the time, I think about other things, sometimes asking questions that have no answers.
I think about the road ahead that stretches all the way to the horizon, without a single curve.
I think about going  miles and miles with no sign of human habitation.  This country does have a lot of open and empty space.  A whole lot.
Today, i thought about the different types of communities we've ridden through.  Within a few days' ride, we've seen the gated communities of Palm Springs and the impoverished Native communities scattered through the Southwest.  These small villages, filled with people trying to make ends meet has brought Sea to Sea home for me.  It isn't that there is poverty - there's a lot of poverty.  Here's my impossible question: can't we do better?  The needs are so great and our ride will be done in a little over seven weeks.  Is this the best we all can do?
On this day when we celebrate independence, it would be nice to see us do more to free people - not from the tyranny of government, but from the tyranny of poverty.