Final Day -- Riding into Washington

Sunday morning came early, and we were up and packed before the other campers in the Fairfax County campground. Dave grabbed our gear and headed for DC, and we headed back to the W & OD Trail, where we would meet Craig Clayton, Peddie class of 1978, who would lead us into town. Craig's energy and spirit was exciting, and he and the kids enjoyed meeting each other and chatting along the trail. "Only at a school like Peddie," gushed Will O'Connor, "would some alumnus come out and meet us like this." We rode a quick twenty miles from Reston to the final run to the Key Bridge and then Washington. We took a Starbuck's break, where Craig treated us all to coffes and snacks and a longer conversation. The more they all talked, the more charged up Craig became about Peddie now, and the more excited the kids became about what Peddie represents.

We jumped back on the bikes and headed for the conclusion, we crossed the Potomac and aimed right at Georgetown, the university looming above us, the monuments to our right. We zipped through town, jumping from sidewalks onto the road, skirting slow buses, the city apparently in slow motion, movie theme music in the air all around. We turned back down to the river, zoomed past the rowers and the walkers, aiming at the Lincoln. Caitlyn's shouts of excitement were now steady state, she being jazzed and our collective mouthpiece. We turned the last bend and hit the plaza in front of the Lincoln, and all stopped. "Ya-Yeah!!" We parked our bikes, snapped off our fron wheels and headed up the steps to Lincoln, and then to Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speaking spot, and turned for the photo that would end our run.

As we looked out over the reflecting pool and tried to imagine the crowd there that August day, I thought of Ranger / Reverend William's introductory sermon back at Ebenzer Church. "You know why you're here? His-tory! Do you know why you're here in the front pews of the Ebenzer Baptist Church? His-tory! ... Now, can you see little Martin here, right here in this pew, in this very pew right here? Can you see him lis-tening to his father preach in this church? Can you see him? Little Martin was a young boy, just like you are young boys and girls, but he was a young boy who Lis-tened, and because he lis-tened, he helped make changes that are part of all our his-tory."

We took the picture, four kids standing where King had stood to spoke, the kids' wheel's aloft, their pride and accomplishment earned and real, the "content of their character" perhaps a little more substantial because of what they accomplished on this journey.

We packed the bikes, and zoomed home.

-- PJClements