Video of the first month in USA

Sounds of Silence

The road was very peaceful today with an occasional car passing by. For miles there was silence, the silence of the plains, the prairie and the long stretches of farms and grasslands. But I noticed in this silence were many subtle sounds as I carried the Torch.

The most dominant sound, believe it or not, was the flame of the Torch itself. With no distracting sounds around, one notices the strong sound that the flame makes as it burns oxygen and fuel to stay alive. This symbolizes not only the harmony we so often speak of, but energy that seems to keep everything going. Everywhere we see and feel and even hear energy, so evident today with silence as a backdrop.

We met Anna and Mark on the 36th Day of their bicycle trip across America from Seattle to New York. We wish them a safe journey and maybe we will see eachother at our mutual finish in August, New York.

The other sounds I noticed more than on busier and noisier days was my own footfalls. It was an inspiring thought that other runners around the world are also striding along with their own footfalls carrying torches as I hear my own steps towards harmony carrying the torch through this country. The sounds of the grasshoppers, the birds protecting their nesting areas as a stranger runs by with fire, and prairie dogs scurrying into their little cubby holes all add to the sounds of silence out here where cars are not the central focus anymore.

Erik had his own unique experiences on the road too. This is what he has to say:

“A fantastic day of running through South Dakota, from Wood to Winner. I felt very comfortable running among the fields of green pastures filled with various crops, cattle and farmhouses. It was very picturesque and peaceful, just plain nice.

My run went by quick and the RV dropped off lunch to us on the road just as I was finishing. Perfect timing. We finished our run, purchased some more water and then drove to our campsite which was on the Missouri River. It was very wide and vast but made for great swimming. I really enjoyed the peace of the flowing river and spent some time collecting rocks.

After the swim the other vehicle showed up with Salil and company and we were told that we had a hotel waiting for us back in Winner. So we headed back to Winner to find the Super 8. On the way we had a nice discussion about our run with a road construction worker as we waited for permission to pass. It was an extra 80 miles of driving because of the hotel but it was worth it (also the dinner was waiting for us there). Arpan and gang made lasagna, salad and brownies, mmm good.”

Entering Winner, we stopped at the local Dairy Queen where Cal, the owner, generously offered us four ‘blizzards’ to cool us down. He was quite understanding and kind with no hesitation in offering these great treats.

We also met up with Cal, a reporter from the weekly newspaper here, the Winner Advocate. After a few photos and some questions with Cal, he was off to write his story for which we are extremely grateful.

The heat soared by the time our last team finished running as it was over 95 F and getting humid. We originally planned to stay at a campground very far away but were fortunate enough to get two big complimentary rooms in the Super 8 of Winner. June, the owner, was so kind to offer us a large suite and another good sized room even though it was early and she did not know how full the motel would be. We are so grateful to her and to Peggy, the desk clerk, for being so kind and understanding of our efforts for harmony in the world and in this country.

Arpan, Erik and the Gang

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