Patience and Tolerance

Patience. A most necessary attribute that you need to fully submit and live as a collective group. I am constantly reminded that I have plenty more work to do in this area, that I have heaps more growing and learning to do to become a more patient person. Whether this means being patient at the beginning of a group meeting, being present and aware of your surroundings, or whether patience means cheering on your cycling buddie as they slowly creep to the top of the hill, but all you want to do is cycle fassssst. Patience is listening to each persons thoughts, opinions and comments, and actively, presently absorbing what they are saying, and taking it into consideration. Patience is recognizing that every task, when being done by or with a group of 15 will take heaps of time, but that same task probably couldn't be done on your own either.

Tolerance. This is another attribute that I am finding really important during an intense group living experience. You need to recognize that everyone is coming from entirely different life experiences, and each with their own strengths and weaknesses. These things have to be accepted and tolerated.

<br I'm writing from the dark corner of the basement of the Rockwood centre in Sechelt, BC. Were staying in a church youth space. My team has settled down for the evening, and the lights are out, but the glow from this computer in the corner may be bright enough to disrupt. We had a hilly but pleasant ride today, it was sunny,and the air was fresh beside the sea. The three trailers that the team is pulling are proving to be quite challenging. There are certainly some stronger and some weaker cyclists that are on our team, so we are trying to equitably spread out the work of carrying the trailers, and not necessarily have equal sharing of them. But my, I've done alot of cycle touring in the past, and these trailers are heavy up these sunshine coast hills! So heavy that sometimes my touring baby, Poppy, can't make it to the top unless I stand and pedal real hard. I'm afraid my back is tiring, but my overall energy levels certainly aren't. The place we are staying right now has showers - though i still feel like I could do okay for a few more days, I am welcoming of this shower I will take right now - but you can count on the fact that I will be staggering it (google it if you're not sure what I mean :)

Thinking of all of you and sending big hugs from afar.