Author: Terri Speirs

A Walk Across Iowa on the Old Lincoln Highway: Epilogue

by Mark Minear

Greetings!  Here is the last entry to the blog of my Walk.

If there was a book to emerge from this experience (and I don’t anticipate that there will be—but if there was), I can’t decide whether it should be called…

Walking on Holy Uneven Ground

or

Walking on Uneven Holy Ground.

I think the former.  My experience was both—human and sacred.  I clearly had the sense of how temporal the event was in my life… earthy, uncomfortable, unpredictable, weary-making, uneven, etc.  (Of the estimated three-quarters of a million steps from river to river, I would guess that over half of them was on uneven ground—a tapered shoulder off the road, portions that were not graded, various sizes and shapes of rocks, etc.)  It was an experience that stretched my human capabilities to some of its limits…  however, it was also a spiritual opportunity to catch some “glimpses” of the holy… the beauty of creation, humility amidst the Mystery, the sense of Presence, moments of awe and joy and wonder and reverence, Light for the path, a calling to something deeper and higher, etc.  It was a sacred experience that surprised and renewed me with hope and transformation amidst the importance of gratitude and generosity.  I think the former, Walking on Holy Uneven Ground, because it connotes both the sacred and the human with the sacred over all the experience, including the human (and, surprise… even if we are unaware).

Such is the case for these earthly journeys we have been privileged to take.  There is certainly an unevenness to our daily challenges and the way is rough at times, and one certainly knows that they are alive as their bodies remind them step by step on the pilgrimage.  But there is also an available sacredness that gives us pause to open our lives to the Holy Other—to have moments, not where we escape the realities of the earthly journey, but to bring great meaning out of life’s temporal experiences when we transcend and know that there is Something More to the journey than the superficial, the humdrum, the same old same old, the painful, etc. (you get the idea).

We are given opportunities to go deeper to understand that our individual lives are gifts… and, out of that sense of gratitude, we in turn spontaneously become more generous and cheerful as givers (as we understand that we are only stewards and not owners of all that is in our lives).  Can you think of anything in life—including how we think of “love” or “faith” or “joy” or whatever—that is not based in this experience and growing cycle of gratitude and generosity?

And here’s the good news: we can choose to nurture this spirit of gratitude in our lives!  We are not helpless even amidst our seasons of emotional pain and despair—we can gently but intentionally “look” for and embrace with thanksgiving the many gifts around our lives every day.  Mindfulness is about awareness—paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment.  Gratitude would simply be a response to what we “notice” in and around our lives… of course, along with the observation of other matters—many of which might be unpleasant or even painful.  When we hold in our awareness the human as well as the holy, something happens within our heads and our hearts!  Thoughts and feelings that are uncomfortable are certainly there—but that is not all!  We also find wonder, curiosity, reverence, gratitude, generosity, etc. on the path to becoming transformed by the sacred in and around our lives.  And this ability to observe our inner experience becomes an opportunity to see more clearly the Light of God’s love and forgiveness and grace for our lives!

In fact, I would dare to push this a little further.  Many folks I know are closer to what might be considered agnostic; they find it difficult to wrap their heads and/or their hearts around a Creator, let alone a specific expression of a Heavenly Parent or Christ as Friend.  But, even if there wasn’t a God, this path of living and growing with gratitude and generosity is still a noble, magnanimous life to live.  For those who believe that we are alone without a Holy Other, is there a higher way to walk through this earthly journey?

We can pay attention to both the internal and external realms of life, and we find this inner path to be our portal to experience the transformational holy in our lives… to attend within and listen.  Thomas Keating wrote: “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation.  In order to hear that language, we must learn to be still and to rest in God.”  Consider doing what it takes to pay attention, not just to the beauty of the external world around you though the five senses, but to the inner spiritual intimations of God’s Light and Presence that are already there!

So… I returned home to my loving wife, the people in my life of family and friends, the tasks and responsibilities waiting for me (boy, did the yard need to be mowed!), etc.… and, though I was still most certainly “Mark”, I also was given the privilege to be “Mark with a little more awareness of both the human and the divine”…  a “Mark who could be a little more grateful and a little more generous!”

“And the end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started…

And know the place for the first time.”  (T.S. Eliot)

Peace, Mark

P.S.  My walk across Iowa resulted in opportunities to stir up some awareness about mental health care for males as well as raise over $12,500 for boys and men who need counseling assistance financial support if they are uninsured or are inadequately covered by insurance.  Once again… my heartfelt and humble “THANK YOU” to all of you who donated to this fund!

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For more information on Mark’s walk across Iowa: dmpcc.org/WalkwithMark

A Walk Across Iowa on the Old Lincoln Highway: Day #14

by Mark Minear 

Greetings! And “thank you” to everyone who had anything to do with this adventure.  So many people in so many ways were a part of preparation, support, encouragement, etc.  “No person is an island”… right?  “Every person is a piece of the continent, a part of the main,” wrote the English poet John Donne in 1624.  Even after years of being taught that the American way is one of “rugged individualism”, do any of us really believe that we are that self-sufficient… in no need of another?  Someone helped to make my walking shoes, fix me a breakfast sandwich, and bottle my water… but now I have a new appreciation for just what it takes to make an endeavor like mine over the past two weeks a success.  All I can say is “thank you!”

I appreciated all of the replies to my blog entries, texts, emails, voice mails, etc.  Please know that I felt that I was not be able to reply to the replies on the blog—to keep up with them… and other ways that people reached out to me may have also not had a response.  Just know of my appreciation… and I hope to connect with folks in the coming days as part of “unpacking” this experience!

Today after walking the last 10.5 miles this morning, my wife Karla, brother Hal, and his wife Beckie took a number of pictures at the Missouri River bridge and the sign that says END right above the sign that says LH Heritage Byway.  It was an enjoyable experience to share it with these three special people in my life!

I truly believe that if we all live with intention, then growth, development, transformation, etc. happen within our lives.  I have told some of my clients that, after an hour session together—if we were intentional about our time, then we would both leave my office changed in some way.  That’s what we do—we affect each other’s lives…  let’s make the effect a redemptive experience to empower us all to live more consistently with the values we hold close in our hearts.

When I arrived home this evening with my wonderfully supportive wife Karla, I began to reflect on how this experience has impacted my life.  Just as I attempted to pay attention with intention on the Walk, the journey is not over.  I have more intentional reflecting and learning to do.  There is still much to glean from this wonderful opportunity I had…. so more to come.  Just as T.S. Eliot wrote:

“And the end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started…

And know the place for the first time.”

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Did you know that there is a wonderful Village Welcome Center dedicated to pioneer history of the area, the LH, the Loess (for those of you who wonder how to pronounce this, it rhymes with “bus”) Hills, etc.?  Just about two miles northwest of Missouri Valley on the LH, it is a great stop in so many ways. I treated myself to a new hat with the LH design on our way home today.  Kathy Dirks, the center’s coordinator, took my picture next to a LH marker that still stands upright in its original place… she was going to do something with it, but I can’t remember what!

Today, after the completion of the Walk, I met a waitress at a restaurant in Missouri Valley who wondered why the four of us all had on orange t-shirts with the LH design on the front.  After briefly telling the story, she decided to inform others (regulars, I am assuming) of my journey.  Today, I learned to start putting matters into perspective—that I did not accomplish this Walk alone… and togetherness and gratitude need to remain central in my upcoming conversations.

Today I am grateful for my loving brother Hal Minear.  It is a major understatement to say that I could not have accomplished this challenge without his support.  I may have walked every step of the way on my own… but, without his practical, logistical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual support, I don’t think that this would have been a success.  So… I don’t really know how to express the depth of my gratitude and love to my brother for helping to make my bucket wish dream a reality…  so…  I gently, humbly, mindfully, and graciously says “thank you, big brother” as you have always had an amazing way of looking out for your younger brother across the years.  The gift of my “gratitude marble” was deeply heartfelt!

Peace, Mark

P.S.  Moments after I finished this morning, I received a call from the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center to inform me that $11,555.05 has been given to the Counseling Assistance Fund thus far… perhaps a few more donations will still come in…  I hope so!  The fund will always be there with the need. My humble thanks to all of you who contributed to strengthen our abilities to serve the uninsured and underinsured.

P.S.S. I think that I will likely have one more blog entry… perhaps in a week or so.  It may be interesting to others what develops out of further processing and reflection… and it would be great to write an entry without the pressure of time amidst my diminished mental acuity due to fatigue!

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For more information and more posts, please see Mark’s homepage: dmpcc.org/WalkwithMark.

Everyone is invited to “Walk with Mark” by helping him reach his goal to support quality mental health services for boys and men. Supporting his 331-mile trek is easy as 1-2-3:

1. Walk with Mark via his blog on the Center’s website or Facebook page.
2. Walk with Mark by joining him for part of his itinerary.
3. Walk with Mark with a donation to the Center for the counseling assistance fund.

A Walk Across Iowa on the Old Lincoln Highway: Day #13

by Mark Minear 

Greetings!

Over the recent years I have attempted to understand and embrace the transformational power of nurturing gratitude in my life. It has seemed to intertwine very comfortably with mindfulness—to learn to pay attention with intention. When we have eyes to see, there are always good things around us for which we can be grateful. (And, without being simplistic about looking for the silver lining, I would include that I do believe that—even in the midst of our pain—we can still be grateful for the many daily, moment-by-moment gifts in our lives.)

But this Walk has helped me to contemplate that I still have much more to learn. I have had so many generous people provide me with various kinds of practical support, messages of encouragement, and donations to support the Counseling Assistance Fund—people who simply care about me and wanted to contribute to help make my adventure a success. (It really does take a village to help a walker across the state of Iowa.) I think that I still have difficulties simply accepting such gifts without scheming that there must be a way I can return the favor… get even, you know, balance the scales by figuring out what I can give back in return. Though I am not as eloquent late at night when I am fatigued as when I am mindfully walking and reflecting, I do think that—even as I am sharing an expression of gratitude, if I am somewhere in the future thinking about how to make things even, then I am likely to not be fully present with gratitude in the moment. Sometimes all we have to do is to mindfully and graciously say “thank you.”

In fact, when we are fully present for our expressions of gratitude to others, then both we as the receivers and others as the givers are more likely to experience the power of grace, which has the potential to be transformational for both parties. And I figure that if I can be more mindful about simply being grateful (and not working some angle in my head about paying something back), then perhaps the transformation will include becoming a more generous person… whatever the future holds… paying back, paying forward it doesn’t matter… just becoming more cheerful and generous in my giving in the future! I figure that if I have some guilt in the midst of receiving a gift, then I have more work to do to clear out, “let go” of, some of the obstacles in the way of expressing my gratitude – whether it is to God, to others, or even simply a matter of what is quietly experienced in the heart!

Well, tonight I feel inadequate trying to describe my efforts to learn more about gratitude (more to come in the days ahead). Here in Missouri Valley at an RV area at the fairgrounds, about 10.5 miles away from the Missouri River… my brother Hal and I have been joined by our wives. Tomorrow, Karla, Hal, and Beckie will be here to walk a little with me… and to celebrate the finish with me. In my efforts to learn, I will start with trying to “purify” gratitude with them… all I have to do is to express a heartfelt “thank you!”

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” (Meister Eckhart)

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Did you know that the community of Woodbine developed a unique and historical way of welcoming Lincoln Highway travelers into its downtown? In 1921, the city installed brick on the LH for about six blocks. The bricked section of the road is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today I met Elmer and Bruce, long-term residents of Woodbine over another sub sandwich. We had a friendly chat about a number of things (including the importance of abstaining from alcohol among other moral/religious matters—something that Elmer learned from his grandmother); however, they also directed me to a notable gas station with history on the LH—the Brickstreet Station (see pictures below). What was interesting about this conversation is that Elmer (who reported that he was now in his 90s) said he can remember, just barely, when they were laying the bricks for the street—which he said was completed in 1929. So… I am not certain where the line is between historical fact and legend.

Today I learned that both the Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) and the Union Pacific railroad are still vital arteries of commerce, work and employment, family, etc.—all ways that we make connections across the miles. The original transcontinental Lincoln Highway was established to unite the country… and it united Iowa in many ways as well… and U.S. 30 certainly continues that tradition. And the sound of a train is never far away from the LH… whether during the day with the Walk or during the night in the middle of sleep. From our home in Marshalltown we hear the roar, rumble, and horn of the train about one-half mile to the south. (I left today’s gratitude marble along the railroad tracks… as I am still tickled that trains are still so relevant.)

Today I am grateful for Rick & Judy, long-time friends that came up to Missouri Valley from their home near Glenwood. Karla and I became friends with Rick and Judy now almost 40 years ago; and, even though we haven’t seen each other regularly over the years, as kindred spirits we always resume where we left off the last time. I am grateful that we have such friendships. They had heard about my adventure from another mutual friend, Lucia, who lives in MN. It was an encouragement to see them here at the end of the journey across Iowa!

Peace, Mark

P.S.. I have just over ten more miles to go to get to the Missouri River. I hope to have this journey completed by around 12 noon on 5/4/2016. Then I will likely have another blog at the end of the last day—likely from home… and then, perhaps, some post-journey reflections in a week or so. I know that there is still more to come on gratitude… hopefully something more refined and thoughtfully articulated.

 

 

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For more information and more posts, please see Mark’s homepage: dmpcc.org/WalkwithMark.

Everyone is invited to “Walk with Mark” by helping him reach his goal to support quality mental health services for boys and men. Supporting his 331-mile trek is easy as 1-2-3:

1. Walk with Mark via his blog on the Center’s website or Facebook page.
2. Walk with Mark by joining him for part of his itinerary.
3. Walk with Mark with a donation to the Center for the counseling assistance fund.

A Walk Across Iowa on the Old Lincoln Highway: Day #12

by Mark Minear

Greetings! I discovered this evening that one of the donations to the Center’s Counseling Assistance Fund was given by an uncle remembering his brilliant and gifted nephew. His nephew had a mental illness and took his life five years ago. I read and re-read the words about this young man who was only 30 when his life ended… and, just as he was dearly loved, he is now deeply missed. First of all, I am humbled that such a gift in memory would be given to my efforts with this Walk. But also, I was moved by the grief that this family has experienced over the recent years as I was introduced, in a small way, to an incredible soul whose life was tragically shortened. I am grateful for this donation… and to this uncle who misses his nephew and who wants to contribute to the lives of others who might be suffering from mental distress. This may be the highest act of love we can do amidst our own loss, grief, and pain… to be redemptive in our efforts to help someone else. Peace to this uncle and this family.

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Did you know that this blog is just packed with fun Lincoln Highway trivia? Here’s a good one: today, while making the trek west out of Westside, I had the privilege of walking for about three miles on the northernmost (you know, in terms of latitude) part of the entire transcontinental Lincoln Highway from New York to San Francisco.

Today I met P.J., manager at the Sparky’s mini-mart in Vail. Originally from Denison with great hometown pride, P.J. had lots of information and stories covering the LH, Denison’s celebrities—Donna Reed and Brandon Scherff (University of Iowa offensive guard who was drafted 5^th overall in the NFL 2015 draft by the Washington Redskins), railroads, his grandfather (who kept Donna Reed’s brother’s pick-up from the 1930s going), etc. I had a second breakfast of a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant and a Gatorade along with a delightful conversation. I told P.J. that he was “spontaneously entertaining” as his second job is announcing the Crawford County dirt track races in Denison (if I remember correctly)!

Today I learned something about the strength of the aroma of an ethanol plant. This is the second one that I walked by over the past two weeks (they were both about a mile in length—Nevada and Denison) but the first one where I was downwind.

Today I am grateful for some of the simply pleasures in life: walking by someone mowing freshly cut grass; the croaking sounds of frogs in the flooded ditches and other wet areas; geese either taking off in flight or attending to their goslings; the quickly changing formations of clouds; and the beauty and song of the redwing blackbird (such a cool bird that seems to have their nests in the countryside ditches). In gratitude for the call of this particular passerine bird, today’s marble once again was tossed into another Iowa ditch!

Peace, Mark

P.S. There are a lot of good books on the history and updated status of the Lincoln Highway. A couple of my favorites are by Brian Butko: Greetings from the Lincoln Highway (2005) and Lincoln Highway Companion: A Guide to America’s First Coast-to-Coast Road (2009).

P.S.S. Due to the rain over the weekend (I walked in the light rain but the rain on Saturday was just too heavy), I got about a half day behind… so I hope to finish at the Missouri River (about 10 miles west of Missouri Valley) around noon on Wednesday, May 4^th!

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For more information and more posts, please see Mark’s homepage: dmpcc.org/WalkwithMark.

Everyone is invited to “Walk with Mark” by helping him reach his goal to support quality mental health services for boys and men. Supporting his 331-mile trek is easy as 1-2-3:

1. Walk with Mark via his blog on the Center’s website or Facebook page.
2. Walk with Mark by joining him for part of his itinerary.
3. Walk with Mark with a donation to the Center for the counseling assistance fund.

A Walk Across Iowa on the Old Lincoln Highway: Day #11

by Mark Minear

Greetings!

Today was a day of incredible diversity; and I stayed busy “noticing” my reactions (automatic stuff) and my responses (more intentionally thoughtful). From the time my brother dropped me off on the boundary between Greene County and Carroll County to the time I finished approximately 27 miles later just over the boundary between Carroll County and Crawford County, I experienced a variety of weather, sights and sounds, and togetherness and aloneness as I trekked east-west across the entire Carroll County!

I walked miles on gravel roads without encountering a single car… this provided a wonderful opportunity for a more mindful walking meditation. The skies provided a light cool rain (45 degrees) well into the afternoon… but, after a change into dry clothes and shoes and some calories and a break with napping in my brother’s car for a while, I was energized to keep a 4 mph pace for the last 12 miles; and, by the time I reached the hilly town of Westside (not certain about the origin of the name because this town is on the east side of Crawford County… just feet into Crawford), the sun was out and people were mowing their yards and kids were playing football. I noticed how my moods changed over the course of the day as well… People talk about the Iowa weather changing quickly – you’ve heard the jokes. But there is something about taking another step that changes our view of the world… or pausing for a moment… or engaging a person… or enjoying the beauty of nature… or reflecting on the magnitude of the universe… or expressing a sense of gratitude… or listening to the “still small voice” within our hearts… there are so many ways that our lives can be transformed! Paying attention with intention is the key!

Did you know that Iowa had over 100,000 miles of roads by 1912 but few were graveled or paved? By the early 1920s not much had changed; Iowa dirt turned to mud with rain was called gumbo, “a particularly vicious and viscous and generally impassable brand of mud peculiar to the state.” In light of the significant amounts of rain in western Iowa over the past two days, I wanted to share a warning to motorists from the 1924 Lincoln Highway Association guidebook: “It is folly to drive on Iowa dirt roads, during or immediately after a rain… When it rains in Iowa or Nebraska, the tourist should stop if he wishes to save his car, his time, his tires, and his temper.”

Today I met Brenda at the Casey’s in Glidden; she fixed me an egg, cheese, and sausage breakfast sandwich, and we realized that we knew a common person. Today three gifts to the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center’s Counseling Assistance Fund were given primarily because of the WHO-TV news segment. An anonymous couple just getting out of church, a woman named Sue who had her reasons to affirm such efforts for men and mental health, and Kevin a farmer whose dog Sidney followed alongside of me for about a half mile (he was my co-walker for the day) were all generous and encouraging.

Today I learned more about the way that rain makes its way to the ocean… filling the fields, down the waterways, into the ditches, to the creeks, the streams, and the rivers… WOW! I could see it, hear it, smell it… and, today, I had the privilege of walking across the divide between the Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers drainage basins—it is noted just off of U.S. 30. (Into the fast moving creek empowered by the drainage from a field plopped my gratitude marble for today!)

Today I had an extra sense of grateful simply about being alive. It is such a privilege to participate in this adventure with the entire experience… with its joys and its sorrows, its mysteries and its meanings, its beauty and its chaos, etc. And I think that hope is such a central part of this journey I am taking. Martin Luther King said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” I think that the sacredness of love is the transformational hope moving in all of our hearts… attending to this intimation will give our lives a sense of purpose and peace and power!

Peace, Mark

 

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Everyone is invited to “Walk with Mark” by helping him reach his goal to support quality mental health services for boys and men. Supporting his 331-mile trek is easy as 1-2-3:

1. Walk with Mark via his blog on the Center’s website or Facebook page.
2. Walk with Mark by joining him for part of his itinerary.
3. Walk with Mark with a donation to the Center for the counseling assistance fund.