The new bike that Marc built is just great, now I've had time to use it. Esprit bikes are the future - get him to measure you up then go buy one straight away!
Money - like it or not - that's why I'm doing this whole palaver.
The last two days have started to bring in the boost that I needed. My worry was always, that I will put myself through a certain amount of pain, during and after the cycle ride, for little amounts of donations. Trust me I've been 10,000 feet up a mountain on a bike, wondering "what the !**! am I doing here" and then remembered the faith people put in me to do something, that odd something, that people do to extract some money from wallets of many.
And here we are again. Next time, would somebody please stop me when I have a daft idea?
So is this a challenge? Well for me yes, of course is you are are a keen cyclist you may find this pips, but otherwise dust the bike off and go for a ride, in the rain and wind.
Try doing a circuit of Jersey. St.Aubin - to Gorey, up the hill to Rozel, down and up Bouley or Bonne Nuit and Greve de Lecq, around Corbeire, in and out of St Brelades bay and back to St Aubin . Then imagine doing that again in the same day. Then get up the next day and do that again for another four days. Then imagine an overweight, fifty something, non cyclists doing it (that's me by the way). You will start to wonder why the hell you are doing this. Hero? nah! I just know that know nobody will sponsor me to have an Indian takeaway and watch the golf for 4 days, which is a shame. There are only three things truly pushing me on. 1/ The thought of the money rolling in and 2/ The people who will get the benefit from it and 3/ Not looking like an arse by not doing even one circuit!
Facebook, that social media network that let's you keep count of the number of 'friends' you have, has just justified me being part of it. For what is the use of having 'friends' unless they are there for you when you need them? Or for that matter, to make a tiny donation to inspire you. Now I'm not naive enough to imagine every 'friend' I have will give money. It may be that they don't agree with giving to charity, they may not like the charities picked out or have already given their quota for the year, all of which they are entitled to do. So a sense of perspective is called for. But you certainly can't help but ponder on the whole facebook friend issue and why you have so many of them.
Yesterday and today, thankfully, Facebook messages have been popping up from all manner of directions, ranging from people I know well, to those who are social media acquaintances - electric friends - perhaps, rather than the ones I might go down the pub with of go to dinner with.
Now it is not for me to judge how much people give and frankly, all that matters to me is that I have made people feel motivated enough to make the tiny amount of effort to go through the process of donating something, however small to the cause. But it is difficult not to be human and notice the anomalies in pre-conceived thoughts, when a millionaire will donate less than somebody I hardly know, who has no job. Perhaps that's why they are millionaires, although I suspect it's because they worked hard and applied themselves. I don't hold with envy, just admiration. It's not always the case that the rich are tighter anyway, I must add. One cheque last Saturday, from a customer at Murray's was for £3000. And no matter what their personal circumstances, which are non of my business anyhow, that is a lot of money.
The good, inspiring, get-me-in-the-lyrca news is many have given without so much as a nudge and a tenner is the favoured amount. Sarah even set up a standing order to the account to give £10 per month for 10 months - nice! I like that one, just for the extra mile she went in setting it up. Holiday makers have given at the restaurant and complete strangers have walked up and handed over cash! I'll worry about maintaining the momentum after the ride... well... after the ride. Right now I have enough to ponder on, which stops me thinking about being perched on my saddle.
www.murrays10cc.com should be up and going by tomorrow - hurrah!
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