Many of you are only too aware that AIDS took someone very precious from me: my wonderful brother, Peter. Peter and I were lifelong best friends, giggle partners and generally like-minded, very, very close, even in our adult years.
Some time after Peter had been volunteering at the largest soup kitchen in NYC, he started an organization to publicize the plight of our homeless and hungry in the US called Feed America Now (F.A.N.). He then walked across the country (yes!), beginning on the steps of the NYC public library in August, 1988 and arriving in Los Angeles, CA in March of 1989. My Mom gave me the terrific opportunity to fly to Chicago and meet him in October, 1988, so that I could walk with him for a few days (BIGtime thanks again to my manager at the time, Diane, for allowing me to leave at a very busy time for our business!). He carried a backpack and used a walking stick, lovingly made for him by a dear friend and averaged about 25 miles/day - generally taking each Sunday off in order to attend local services in each of the communities he visited and oftentimes being asked by local church and community leaders to speak about his walk and efforts.
Well, by the 2nd day I was sporting some painful blisters and wondering how I could artfully wiggle out of my 5-day commitment...but just watching my kid brother walk along in front of me - mile after mile, tall and strong, entertaining me by singing Broadway show tunes (we grew up in a NYC suburb and Peter was very active in amateur theatrical productions), and chatting it up, I was both shamed into as well as inspired by him, so I stuck with it and was sad to leave him and head back home, after accompanying him to southern Illinois.
Since he was 'on the road' for Thanksgiving and Christmas '88, we celebrated all when he visited Seattle after his walk.
Only a few short years later, AIDS attacked those strong legs of his and the painful irony is that Peter could barely walk 6 years later when it took his life in May, 1995.
He remains my inspiration as I continue cycling in the hope of ending AIDS in our world and he's surely with me for every turn of my pedals too.
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