The Day After: Thoughts on the Ride of Silence
By John Clary, TBC Member
I'm
sitting at the computer on May 20, 2004 -- the day after the Ride
of Silence -- trying to compile my feelings for the members of
my church, who endorsed the Ride.
First, it
was a nice ride. Ten miles around White Rock Lake on a clear
evening with mild winds and temperatures is always nice.
Second,
it was a bit spooky. I've ridden group rides before and the
total lack of chatter amongst the riders was a little unnerving.
Third, it
was inspiring. According to the Dallas Police Dept., more than
2,500 riders participated, and as a compact group we were over
a half-mile long. When we got stretched out with a little space
between us and no more that two abreast, we ran for miles. Imagine
2,500 cars in a traffic jam, and you get the idea.
Another thing that was spooky was the number
of riders wearing armbands. The protocol for the ride was, thatif
you knew someone who had been killed while riding, you wore
a black armband. If you or a person you know had ever been injured
while riding, you wore a red armband. I lost count of the number
of people I saw wearing both. I wore both myself.
At the end of the Ride they tell me there was
a prayer and a moment of silence, but I was so far back I couldn't
tell. I remember a cheer and applause just before the group
started to disperse.
After the Ride we all just hung around and talked
for a while, partly to allow the traffic to clear out, and partly
because we didn't want it to be over. The fellowship was like
being in a warm blanket, or it could have been the body heat
developed by the 10-mile ride. Either way, it was awesome.
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