The Circle->

continues to Close.

When I began all this, actually -in a way- before I began this: was planting the seeds to begin all this, I would check out things on the Internets, in print, catalogs... and a name I continually came across was that of Kent Peterson.  Rivendell & Grant Petersen, Bob Brown ... and Kent Peterson [a lot of Peterso[e]ns out there]: three names that would play enormously important in my unfolding of a new life.

I would sit, I would rest, I would lay on the sofa, and I would read [and marvel] about this guy who rode to ride.  He rode far away to ride even farther away.  He resided [resides] in Washington state, but if he was going to ride some event in Mass. [Boston-Montreal-Boston] or the GDR [Great Divide Race  -starts in the tippity topper most of Montana and finishes up at the bottomery most bottom of New Mexico], well... he rode there too.  Also, he was Car-Free.  Had been for a number of years.  He's married, has two kids, and they did/do fine. 

This guy, and his life, struck me as something special.  Best? ...he wasn't running around beating on his chest like some raving Tarzan screaming 'Look at me!!  I'm car-free you buncha SUV-drivin' jerkweeds'.  He was pretty much quiet about it.  Also, with his riding pursuits he wasn't running around pounding his forearms like some extra in Braveheart shouting "Look at ME!  I ride more than any of you, and on your longest rides -you know, the ones you take trains, buses and cars to get to... the ones your wives or hubbys drive you to... I ride to those too!!".  No, he was & is quietly Herculean.

A smallish, concrete cast, formed from Kryptonite, Buddha with a bike helmet atop its head.

This guy meant [still means] a lot & much to me.  I started writing him, and he responded back.  I left out the stuff about my size, the hole I was in, I kept to bike and riding stuff.  Life -without the mess- stuff.  We became friendly.

When he undertook the GDR, we donated bread.  Chloe made artwork for him... he took that artwork along with him [tucked into his water purification tablet container].  He mentioned her [Chloe's first major press outing] in his follow up on that race in Dirt Rag magazine, mentioned her by name.  She was thrilled.

I was still in a hole... miserable, but planning.

And he was still quietly living his life out in a semi-little/Salmon-known town in Washington.

At the end of that GDR race, I looked at Amy and said "We gotta do something... I gotta do something.  This is like Babe Ruth smacking one out of the park for me.  I know Kent's racing for his own reasons, but he's fueling me-giving me hope, inspiring me to try.  Amy, I gotta do something here."  And Amy said back to me, "Whatever you need to do, we'll do it".

Now I knew Kent loves his wife and she loves him in return... and that's something I knew and understood well in my own life.  Very well.  I also knew that he had been away from home for a very long time to do this race: riding from Washington to Montana, racing from Montana to the New Mexico/Mexico border... and then, now just finished, riding his bike from the border back up to Washington state.  Bingo, there it was... get him back home, back home to his wife/his wife to him, as fast as possible.

So, for this guy I had never met and only knew from the Internet and had corresponded with via email, but had given me so much more than I could have ever possibly given him, we bought him a plane ticket home.  Home to his wife.  And that was tiny peanuts compared to what he had delivered to me just by being who he is.  And I got to talk to him for 5 minutes.

Through his wife, I was given a phone number and an approximate time to call-a time she estimated he would be finishing the race.  I called that number, a friend answered [a buddy picking him up at the finish line to drive him back to his house to spend the night before riding back to Washington  **I think that buddy was Tarik-who visited Amy, Chloe & me last summer in Minneapolis, and we now count as a buddy too ~that Circle again**], and said "Hold on, Kent's just pulling up... ".  Off in the distance, at the New Mexico/Mexico border I could hear 'Hey Kent, phone for you'.  I was sitting on the edge of our bed in the NYC area with my knees and back shot from having walked from the kitchen to the phone in the bedroom to place this call.  Sweating & panting from that 10 foot stroll.  It was surreal.

"Hello, Kent here".  He wasn't breathing hard, didn't sound like someone who had just ridden thru hell and back, dodging bear, assaulted by hills, dust, cold & heat: nature at her best & worst... all on a Single-Speed bike.  He sounded like someone at peace and in his element.

I introduced myself, he was happy to hear from me after all of our email, I told him my plan: what he needed to do, ID to have at hand, times to be where & there... he thanked me, Amy & Chloe profusely.  He started to sound a little tired so I steered the call to an end.

The next day he was home, home with his wife.  We bought him that...

he gave gives me hope & inspiration.

I got the better end of the Deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 50th Birthday, Kent [450 odd miles in 3 days sounds exactly like your kind of gift to yourself]!

Keep Ridin'... Always

Comments

[Dan O]

Great story. I'm from Washington and have heard about Kent.

Your journey is no less impressive - maybe more so. I first read about you from the Rivebdell Reader and now follow your blog.

Your blog, as well as some others, inspired me to start one. So yeah - it's all sort of one big circle.

Size of the circle doesn't matter - 700c, 26", 29" or 650b - as long as it keeps spinning.

[Michael R]

So it was you. You rascal. Congratulations on having the heart big enough to get Kent home earlier.

[Rick Cogley]

Wow, Scott, that's awesome.

[bryantp]

It's a huge and growing circle. You certainly inspired me...not just to ride but to go to gyms, snowboard more...did I mention ride? and live more...following my heart attack. Much healthier and getting better by the day.

[Tarik]

Yep, That was, in fact, the very me driving to the the buttocks corner of NM to rescue kent from the federales. Somehow this photo is the only compelling evidence linking me and kent to the bottom of NM. Great post. I forgot until recently that I had spoken to you on the phone then when we were way down there south. Have a great time...

[Kent Peterson]

Hey Scott,

Awesome getting to hang with you, Amy and Chloe for a bit. Tell Chloe her charm of safety worked, I made it home in one piece. Story and pics on my blog soonish.

One correction, however. I always had Monday budgeted in as a travel day, so it's 450ish miles in 4 days, not three. This is how those crazy stories about me get started, so I wanted to set this straight. Oh and I did take the train most of the way to the start of BMB. But thanks for the kudos anyway.

Kent

[Jeff]

Momentous!

Very happy to see you back and writing LFoaB again. You have more "followers" than you know.

[RonC]

For those of you who don't live in the Pacific NW, there were hail, sleet, and snow showers here on Monday. While no significant accumulations, I bet it made 'the long ride north' considerably more interesting. Having read many of Kent's postings, I bet he enjoyed the challenge.

And Scott, that's so cool that you and Amy funded Kent's expedited trip home from New Mexico. That's a really sweet story. Thanks for sharing.

[Anthony]

You opinionated jerk, you should never have moved to Portland!

Nah, I'm just kidding. Just stumbled across your blog from Kent's, this is a great story. Thanks for sharing!

[Nick V]

Sweet. Two of my favorite people I have never met. I did however wave at Kent once when I passed him going the other way in the Cascade Foothills on his Green Machine. Cheers to you both. Nick V.

[Ian Hopper]

Well, if either you or Kent ever visit Novato, CA, you both have a warm bed to crash in... I would be honored! :)