Rest Days; People Met = 12
Unfortunately I did not have my camera bag with me for much of the day, but I did take a video. The day started at about 6:00 a.m. as we attended the “Wake Up La Junta” breakfast as the hostages of honor. The event is held at Otero Junior College and draws an amazing crowd for so early in the morning. The local high school jazz band opened the breakfast, which meant they had to have set up even earlier. We sat at a table with Mike, our host from the previous evening, and Cody, who looked even younger than Mike though he was 37. Cody was involved in the community garden, which went from 6 members last year to 18 members this year. A portion of their produce goes to La Junta charities. That just goes to show you, charity work and gardening helps you look young.
The even is MCed by Ron and Jim, both wearing red long johns. A banner behind the stage announces: “Wake Up La Junta, The Smile Hi City!” Some time is allowed for folks to eat breakfast as the band plays on, then the two MCs make jokes and announcements. They call awareness to individuals, businesses and events in the community. As the hostages we were provided a moment to speak about our journey. The climax of the ceremony is the Sunshine Award, which goes to someone noted for brightening up the community. That honor went to Jeff Paolucci, Vice President of Student Services at Otero Junior College. I took the initiative to interview this inspiring person in his office later in the day. You can check that video out below.
I finally got rid of a pint of blood, something I’m required to do every few months but was frustratingly failing to accomplish ever since Denver. That was sandwiched in between two Lions Club meetings. The first was a luncheon in Las Animas where I gave a talk. Unlike many Lions Clubs this one had members of all ages, young and old. Though I must note that the youngest looking member, who must have been in his twenties still, was wearing an AARP T-shirt. Perhaps they’ve found the fountain of youth in Las Animas. Anyways, thanks to Tammy for setting that up for us.
The other Lions Club meeting we attended was in Cheraw. Henry and Pat Cowell from La Junta escorted us there. We first met Henry and Pat at the talk we gave in Olney Springs and have remained in touch with them through our arrival at La Junta. Henry is originally from Delaware, the state that lies at the end of the American Discovery Trail. The Cheraw Lions Club was one of the aging ones. In fact, one aging member was parked behind our support vehicle and mistook the gas pedal for the brake when he went to leave. Ky now has to go through the hassle of insurance and repairs for her vehicle, all while we continue to journey across the country. I was amazed at how well she handled it. We all actually felt sorry for the guy, who was quite shaken and remorseful. On the other hand, we suspect the aging fellow might have actually forgotten about it by the next day.
She will get a little break from that worry as she travels home for a family reunion. Cindy and I are packed for six days in the interim. It will probably only take us five days to our next rendezvous point because the crazy events of our first day in La Junta, along with my bloodletting, led us to take a second, genuine rest day.
