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

That morning, I was bicycling to work when a garbage truck turned across a city bike lane. I was in that bike lane.

A team of trauma surgeons saved my life, but they had to amputate my left leg. My body and life were forever changed.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

As I learned to walk again, I measured my recovery in steps and then miles. Over time that journey grew into something more -- a way of being in the world, wherever I go.

I am a person of 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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