My road came to an unexpected halt on November 9, 2010.

I was bicycling to work that morning when a garbage truck drove into a Philadelphia bike lane. I was in that bike lane.

Trauma surgeons saved my life, but they had to amputate my left leg above the knee. The accident changed my body and health forever.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

For more than a decade, that journey has become my way of moving through the world.

I am a person with ability and disability. I travel in the space between. These are my postcards.

Friday, April 16, 2021

Bench Barish (a.k.a. Take a Stand)

Greetings from Mile Marker 9,446...

It's time to take a stand.

This afternoon, I'm circling Old City with my neighbor and friend, Wendi.  

That's 2 Wendy(i)s in two days - if you're counting.

We're squeezing in a quick mile before the five (yes 5!!) Zoom meetings Wendi has lined up for this evening.  

If that sounds insurmountable, you don't know Wendi...

A few years ago, she decided to run for judge.

She was already an established lawyer working to make our city a better place.  But the events of November 2016 launched that drive into... well, overdrive.

Now, it's campaign season all over again.  

So we're not just walking.

We're power-walking!

In record time, we travel from 2nd to 6th Street -- and back.  Then, with 7 minutes left on the clock, we do an extra lap around the block.

Along the way, Wendi pets a neighbor's dog, 

delivers a campaign button,
and gives me her "one minute intro" for super-short Zooms.  (Yes, sometimes they allow only one minute per candidate!)

She also picks up some fuel for the long night ahead.

If Wendi can pack this much into a mile, 

...imagine how much
she'll do in a judicial term!

Wendi is working for BIG things.

Equality.  Fairness.  Dignity.  For all. 

But at Mile 9,446, I see how many SMALL STEPS it'll take her to get there.

She's ordering posters,
organizing a phone bank,
and getting ready for the ballot number lottery.

Not to mention those 5 Zooms tonight -- and many more to go!

It's a journey of passion, but also persistence.

What do you stand for?

Envision it.  
Take steps toward it.
Do it with all your heart.

Right now, that judicial bench looks like a mountain summit.

So here's one small step --  at my own speed -- to give Wendi a boost...

Bench Barish 2021!

(a.k.a. Take a stand!)

Walk on!
Rebecca

If you want to see more about what Wendi stands for, click here.

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