I Met Frank

Yesterday while killing time in between my son's pre-K class and his swim lesson we hung out as we always do at the local bike shop. Honestly, Tailwind Cyclist is a far cry from good cycle eye candy...there are no $5,000 bikes hanging on racks, fancy apparel, and we usually take a seat on the old, broken down, hide-a-bed couch that backs up to one of the front windows in the shop. Roger only keeps the basics in stock, but the shop is never short of good conversation and interesting people. Which brings me to Frank.

Frank is a fit, scrappy looking young man. He was wearing a basic t-shirt and longer MTB shorts. His physique screamed outdoor adventure man, and if you were to look up outdoor adventure man in the dictionary there would be a picture of Frank. Frank has been stuck in Pittsburg, KS area waiting for a wheel to be sent to Tailwinds so he could continue his journey through Kansas until he reached Colorado...oh yeah...I forgot to mention...Frank's ride started in Norfolk, VA!

Immediately I was intrigued by his travels and we struck up the kind of conversation that people usually have over a good cup of coffee. Frank told me that he had been in the masonry business, making good money, and was looking for something more. He mentioned that, "money wasn't everything." Somehow I quickly identified with his conversation and wished that I was making the trip with him.

Our time for conversation was brief, as it was time to head out for my son's swim lessons. But in that short time with Frank I got to learn about an ordinary man with an extraordinary life. I know Frank was armed with his laptop, and I hope he gets to read this blog. If we are lucky he might send us a few pics of his travels. Meeting Frank was the highlight of the day. God's speed Frank...