Email 19

Welcome to my IN THEIR PATH! Email

Tuesday, May 27, 2003

So, a few days, well a week, has passed. I just am not a tech savvy person so I have not written any more on this tiny keyboard. Plus, the days flow so quickly, by evening I am exhausted and happy but too tired to happily tackle dealing with the unfamiliar keyboard and skittering cursor quirks. Excuses, excuses. I have not put an email together.

Here is a sort of catch-up from my hand written journal.

Days into walk: I cant believe it has been 16 days. Yea!

Weather this week: Monday 5-19-03, at 4:15 AM I hear heavy rain L I still have to walk tomorrow J. I will walk tomorrow, I have the bright red rain suit Clarence and Homer bought me! Tuesday 5-20-03: I dont know what I heard last night that sounded like rainstorm-rain patter on the RV roof. It did not rain. This morning, dry, pleasant cool-warm perfect walking weather and Pearline Brown walked with me for the first hour (she walks every day for an hour and also does water aerobics, and I did 2 hours straight walking for the first time since during of my walk. And I feel good. Later felt mild tingly-numbness in right foot and leg that was completely gone by morning.

Although the walk started with grim, blustery, cold soaking rain last week this week has been great for walking. Cool breeze clear or slightly overcast sky. Even when there were showers they happened when I was not walking.

Miles covered: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 I cannot worry about meeting my ten miles a day goal. I just know I will be in St. Catharines on May 31st. Today I walked 6 miles along route 5 the Seaway Trail (2 hours). Petra, my friend from Columbus who walked the September week with me last year, is here. She parked her car down the road 6 miles and ran back to walk with me. Is she fast! I walked only about two miles and she came running to walk the rest of the way together. What fun.

Total miles May 2003 part of journey: 84.
Total miles since Ripley, Ohio, April 2002: 507! wow.

People met: The Lake Erie Travelers are conductors and safe houses all in one. Their RVs are amazing.

1. May 12-15 Homer and Elaine Solomon and Clarence and Barbara Vassar
2. May 16-17 Howard and Juwanna Gregory with 4 foster children
3. May 18-19 Earl and Pat Carrington and their 2-year-old grandson
4. May 19-21 Ed and Pearline Brown
*Wonderful things continue to surprise and delight on this journey. Sunday I needed a place to stay for the few days between when the RVers were away and Petra Williams came to Buffalo. Before the day was over we had safe house #5.
5. May 21-22 Bob and Lilian Hornberger parked next to us at the Campsite. They were weekend camping with their sons, 7 years old Ryan and 9 year old Bobby. These sweet and generous strangers immediately offered their home as my next safe house.
6. May 23-26 Carol and Stu Williams Buffalo home with Petra hosting while the Williams are out of town
7. May 25 (side trip by car) my friend Marilyn Solomon and my sister Tish in Syracuse. We toured childhood places as Anita Salome filmed for her documentary. (I will tell you more later)
8. May 27-30 The Pallats and Saunders pick me up here in Buffalo at Petras in-laws home and I will stay with them through the 31st..

All of the team will come to St. Catharines to caravan to the IN THEIR PATH! Jubilee at Harriet Tubmans church on May 31st.

Places visited: The first school visit was to Our Lady of Peace school in Erie. Marilyn Sobotinic set this up with principal Sister Claudia, Marilyn taught kindergarten here a few years ago. I spoke to the fourth grade classes, 68 wonderful children who gave their song (spirituals they had learned for a program earlier in the school year) and a bouquet of flowers as thank you gift for my visit. Their sweet voices could make you weep with joy.

The children got to tour Elaine and Homers RV, parked on the school lot, running through rain, wiping their feet carefully clean on the mat, ooohing and ahhing as they trooped through in groups of ten, listening closely to guide Elaines description of this cleverly designed space.

G.E.C.A.C. Community Charter School on route 5 in Erie, this visit was arranged on the spot. We passed the school and then got helpful contact information from Charles Kennedy a singer composer poet we met in Erie. Mr. Kennedy has offered to put some of the IN THEIR PATH! journey to music if I send him some of my writing. Doesnt that sound like a great idea?

I spoke to 4th and 5th grade classes at GECAC. One young boy asked, Were you or your mother slaves? when I told the class my mother and her family knew Harriet Tubman because my mother was a little girl when Harriet Tubman lived her last years in Auburn, N. Y. Another student asked,Are you famous? when I gave copy of the CWRU Alumni magazine with my photo and cover story. Im not famous but the strong and courageous slave families should e famous because of what they did to build this rich and powerful country. I am walking to remember, to commemorate those early enslaved farm workers and all of their little children who worked so hard and helped make our young country rich. Im walking to commemorate the brave UGRR families who worked with and cared for the freedom seeking slaves families.

The children had already learned a lot about Harriet Tubman and eagerly told her story. Mrs. Burkholder had graciously let me interrupt the class schedule with no set appointment. And as I finished one of the students, Keiosha Mc Cullum quickly created a beautiful thank you card on the computer. Then a group of the students lined up for autographs just in case someday you become famous

When I stayed with the Hornbergers in Hamburg, NY, Lilian Hornberger arranged a visit to Bobby and Ryans Union Peace Elementary School. Lillian and I had lunch with her sons and then I gave a talk in each class. Both first grade and fourth grade were great classes. And there was amazing art work, character building affirmations and handwritten history booklets displayed throughout the halls I could not help stopping to read and gawk.

The Hornberger family were all so wonderful (do I keep using that word?) I can see a long detailed passage about the parents and both of the boys in my book. I was having such a time I stayed two days instead of just one. And I got to meet Bobs mother Lillian (with two ls) before I had to leave. They are all going to drive up for the St. Catharines Jubilee.

With loving kindness as the core of this IN THEIR PATH! Project everything opens up. Stranger easily become friends.

Travel plans:
Peace Bridge Wednesday or Thursday.
St. Catharines Saturday Morning.
British Episcopal Church Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
92 Geneva Street (905) 682-0993

I am listening to my body as Dr. Fischer advised before she agreed I could start my walk, as planned, on May 12th. And I feel good, except for an occasional leg and foot numbness.

Now that I have actually walked 507 miles I am content. I have 5 days left to cover the rest of the distance to St Catharines. My plan is to walk whatever distance I am able to each of those 5 days. I may have to ride part of the way. If I am falling behind I will count any necessary car travel as the time freedom seeking ancestors were hidden in carts or wagons.

No matter where I am on Friday I will walk all of the last miles on Saturday as friends join to make our way to Salem Chapel to be in that sacred space where Harriet Tubman and some of my ancestors worshipped.

Did you notice how many times the word PEACE has come up in my visits:
Our Lady of Peace School, a Catholic school
Union Peace Elementary, a public school and then I will be crossing to Canada on the Peace Bridge on Thursday . Isnt there a lovely symmetry to it all.

More later IN THEIR PATH. See you in St. Catharines.

Love,
Joan E.