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Proclamtion from Missouri State House of Representative Yvonne Wilson for the Chicago Bike Ride for Literacy

Man, you crazy!

I’ve heard this said a thousand times a day,

About my trip to Chicago for literacy riding my bicycle all the way,

Over 500 miles in the middle of the July heat,

Yeah, I have to admit, it was a hell of a feat,

But I prayed about it and really believe in what I did it for,

I got my body and mind in shape and let my knees hit the floor,

I got out my maps and made the master plan,

To bring light to illiteracy in this mixed up land…

“Man, you crazy,” is what everyone would say to me,

“But we got to do something, our people are dying daily,” is what my reply would be,

It’s better to be something than nothing is what I kept saying to myself,

So I trained hard and prayed hard, until I could think of nothing else,

People giggled and some didn’t believe that a trip like this, I could achieve,

But I peddled, struggled, and sweated in the 110 degree heat through Sedalia, Jefferson City, St. Charles, Alton Springfield, Clinton, and Chicago, I would not quit,

I knew people were watching to see if what I said is what I meant…

So, I got on that bike doing at least 60 miles for eight days,

And I got to Chicago although my body had to pay,

I would be sore all over and my mind would get weary at night,

I found what I was made of inside and kept my goal in sight,

Complaining and whining about things is such an easy thing to do,

But sacrificing yourself for something important like reading and understanding, takes a lot out of you,

It makes you determined and disciplined as you work through your weaknesses and fears,

It helps you understand that some things are perfectly clear,

We have to do something about the state of our affairs and make our children see,

That education is important and doing something outstanding can be considered Crazy.

Man, you’re crazy…

Well, maybe I am, but did it make a difference? I ponder to myself after completing the journey and the task…

“Will people care enough to give a donation and make a difference in some child’s life?” I ask.

Well, contributions are coming in slow, but I’m a believer in people and my faith is never shallow,

I arrived at Oprah’s studios and talked with the staff at her place,

They were impressed with my journey and promised they would consider giving my trip some space,

On her show because it was for a worthy cause,

And I smiled and thanked them and did not pause,

Cause that truly wasn’t the reason for my journey at all,

It was to bring attention to our problem with literacy and I hope that the entire nation would be appalled…

So I hope they were moved enough to bring attention to this literacy problem,

And with your contribution you all can help us solve them,

By bringing books to the young folk and setting examples of how important it is to read,And by example pulling out a book and as parents taking the lead!

I’d like to thank the following companies, individuals, and organizations for their support of this effort and remember we’re taking contributions until November, so please give:

Pageturner.net, Phi Beta Sigma, Damon Smith video, Renaissance Hotels, Country Inn Suites, The Capital Plaza Hotel, AFG Capital Management, Inc., KC Screen Print, Bee Cee’s BBQ, KPRS Hot 103.3 Jamz, MAJK 107.3 Radio, Upper Room GED Program, KC Negro League Museum, Jeanette Lewis, Clarence Wine, Move-Up Organization (Melissa & Marian), Bicycle Shack, and We Must X-L Publishing.

 

Related Links:

Vincent Alexandria on Writers and Poets

Vincent Alexandria on African American Literature Book Club