Saturday morning and I concluded the last minute telephone calls.. My good friend, Tommy Smelser and his darling wife spent a long time trying to talk me into this trip, in the A/C comfort of a van.. For some reason, this would be a solitary and lone trip for me, by choice..This one was personal and I wanted to be sure that my thoughts were properly categorized .. What better means to do that, than sitting on the Green One for a couple of hours.. The trip to the south, toward Hillsboro, was much like many others that I've made recently.. Early and cool enough to be comfortable.. Traffic wasn't bad and I made good time.. Topped of the tank as I cleared Hillsboro to the west and fell in line with six other bikers that seemed to be going my way.. Those guys were really pumped up, and being on good motorcycling highways, we ate up that forty something miles in short order.. Sheesh.. Crawford downtown was filling up and the crowds were beginning to flex, while they demonstrated their sympathies for whichever cause they came to this little town for.. I didn't spend a lot of time in town, although I'd already seen several people that I know, from around the state.. Brief greetings or a casual wave, was enough for me, as I didn't feel adequately prepared to engage, yet.. I carefully made my way out those winding roads to the campsite areas at the so-called Triangle area.. Both sides of that narrow road were occupied with the supporters of the opposing sympathizers.. Law enforcement from Crawford, County, State and Federal agencies are highly visible and strictly enforcing the side of the road restrictions, keeping the opposing sympathizers, separate.. I continued on to the the "new" encampment and huge tent that represents Camp Casey II.. I reluctantly found myself an open space in the weed grown ditch, and squeezed the Vulcan up on the back side and secured it.. By the time I'd walked the 1/4 some odd mile back to the tent, I was soaked with persperation and weak as a kitten.. Two of the nice ladies grabbed each arm and hurriedly escorted me inside the little medic tent to be looked over by some guy wearing a nametag that professed him to be a doctor.. While I protested that I was alright and just needed some shade and some water, the ladies put some iced towels on me to cool me down a little.. I was deeply impressed with their concern for me.. After I'd cooled down a bit, my good friend Tommy Smelser found me and while we talked a little while, Mike Alvey also showed up.. He'd been in the encampment at the Triangle overnight.. Cindy Sheehan appeared to greet the buses from all over Texas, which were beginning to arrive, with various shuttle vans that were transporting people from downtown Crawford.. That lady is for real and the media has painted a distorted picture of what she is all about .. Joan Baez arrived and spent a considerable amount of time, making her way from the road to the inside of the tent.. She tried her best to spend a moment with each of her fans and old time admirers.. Although I didn't stay for it, I'm told that she may have given one of her best performances for that crowd.. After we availed ourselves of the excellent buffet, Mike and I made our way back to the original campsite at the Triangle.. Things had commenced to heat up, tempers were flaring between the few Bush supporters and the massive crowds gathered on the opposite side of the road.. There were some arrests made, and the ones who were led away by law enforcement were the Bush supporting crowd.. It goes without saying that those opposing supporters hurled insults across that road and taunted each other, mercilously.. A few political figures visited the encampment during the day and that place was covered by media from all over the world.. sheesh.. I'd been interviewed by a television station from Stockholm, Sweden.. or wherever Stockholm is.. Reporters, freelance and network media were all over the place and there seemed to be a frenzy amongst them, to get their headline stories.. Several near confrontations between the opposing supporters occured and due to the intense security, they were dispelled without law enforcement involvement.. While the supporters and volunteers from the anti forces seemed to be effective, there appeared to be no efforts to restrain the pro Bush supporters.. No insults or obscenities were off limits and their mission seemed to be, to provoke a confrontation at any cost.. My good friend, Mike was pretty well used up.. that night in the ditch, followed by the heat and activities of the day, had exhausted him.. We talked it over and decided we'd commence the trip back to the metroplex when the temperatures dropped slightly.. We got started about six thirty or so, and headed back home.. Crossing the dam at Lake Whitney, the rain hit us and it was a gulley washer.. Visibility was so bad, at times I couldn't see Mike's tail light and he was only about 40 feet in front of me, most of the time.. That was one helluva storm we rode through..but it didn't last nearly long enough.. I'd like to thank each and every one of those old friends of mine, who demonstrated concern that I'd make this trip alright.. Without their consideration, it would have been much more difficult for me.. Maybe our contributions made no difference, but maybe it did.. Only time can tell.. The important thing is.. that we did what we felt we had to do.. For what it is worth.. we talked to many who'd lost loved ones in this Iraq conflict.. They'd made this trip to Crawford, for their own reasons.. Hopefully, we were able to afford them some comfort in their loss, by sharing in their grief and sorrow.. Loss of a loved one is a lonely place.. just knowing that there are others who share that loss is some comfort.. This Cindy Sheehan phenomenon has brought this need, to the attention of Americans from all over the United States.. They came from across our land to comfort each other and realize the support from others who share in their grief.. That's a good thing.. I saw fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, embrace each other and know they shared a common bond.. their losses.. That common bond is shared by so many of us in America.. We grieve for each one of those losses.. That's what this phenomenon is all about.. All the media circus and political posturing is not the story here.. It isn't a small part of where Cindy Sheehan is coming from or what she is about.. I was proud to see the motorcyclists who came.. There was no way to count them all.. Each one of us, were there for our own reasons and each one of us contributed to what is happening from our own perspective.. That makes it worthwhile.. We were there.. Too much happened, for me to record and report it all in this space.. What we all witnessed and took part in, yesterday.. was a once in a lifetime experience.. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in it all..I can well assure one and all.. it was an humbling experience that I'll remember .. Regards.. Your friend in Irving Bill Walker
