Memorial Day

Here's a weird thing about RV parks. We've been using the KOA in Lawrence, Kansas as base camp for a few days, as Darryl flew in and Kevin flew out to surprise his family for the annual volleyball tourney (it's the "old guys" against their kids, and I'm expecting Kevin to arrive back today with full bragging rights). The weird thing about RV parks is that people park their $100,000 condo-on-wheels and sit. Like, for a month or more. Sure, this place has a pool. and horseshoes. and they sell beer in the little store. but to be 3 miles from a really nice town and just hunker down near the highway? This country -- hell, even this state -- is amazing and expansive and there is so much to see that I just can't understand the appeal of immobile recreational vehicles. Then again, this trip is about talking with all varieties of people to find our common ground. Last night Darryl noticed a woman at the pool with an Army Men Project t-shirt. We are so much more alike than we think. Sometimes we just need to get over ourselves and start listening.

Which brings me to the meaning of today. Memorial Day began after the Civil War (1861 - 1865), as a unifying day to honor those killed in military service. As of today, 2464 U.S. service people have been killed in Iraq (www.icasualties.org). Another 17,869 military individuals have been wounded in action. Thousands of journalists, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, have also paid with their lives for this war. Somewhere amid the BBQs and fireworks and light-hearted fun of your holiday, take a few moments to consider the meaning of war. War *requires* pain and loss to survive. It also requires the complicity of citizens. We on the Coalesce Bike Tour for Peace are finding that many people in Kansas -- and all over this land -- are beginning to say No More. No War. Bring Our Troops Home. And we are here to bear witness to this great unraveling of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are here to promote the power of peace. We are here. And we believe that amazing and beautiful things happen when individuals Coalesce.

namaste.
~~elle~~