Living In A Convoy
10/14/02
By Diana Wunderle
It would not be possible to describe the convoy, without listing a few of the tremendous rewards and satisfaction in knowing that we are making a difference. We are reminded of this at every rally, in every interview, and by others we meet.
We enjoyed the hospitality of Linda and Stanley Barons, who opened their gracious and beautiful Colorado home to the entire convoy for a night. Frank cooked breakfast for everyone the following morning, and we sat at the table chatting merrily, until it was time to go. Thank you, Linda and Stanley. You are in our hearts, our thoughts, and our prayers.
Similarly, Rocky Dippel's zingers, Frank and Peggy Wallace's gentle warmth, Barbara Hall buzzing around, Bill Ransom's quiet encouragement, Kehn Gibson's intense ambition, and Pat's whacked sense of humor have served as daily bread.
Bill and Lynette Ames, of Texas have revitalized our road weary crew with energy and enthusiasm, and joined the convoy in Jackson, Mississippi. We also welcome the arrival of Danny Nielson of the Klamath Bucket Brigade, and Grant Knowles.
We will all remember the people we have met, and the struggles they face with all the courage as they can muster. We carry with us, the hope of those who dare, and dreams of those who will not surrender hope. We will continue to be inspired by the commitment of more recent immigrants to this country, who we have encountered.
It would not be possible to tell of the experience of living in a road convoy, without giving the reader a some understanding of the challenges. The hours and pace are grueling. If I weren't a volunteer, I'd quit. If I weren't a volunteer, I'd have been fired by now. We try to be pleasant, when we want to explode. We laugh our way through one comedy of errors, and grit our teeth through the next. We start at 5-7:00 a.m., and "hit it" until the wee hours of the next morning. Each convoy crew member has three jobs to do. We can sometimes collectively determine which state we are in. We are a team with a goal, and many objectives. Reality television comes to mind… 30 days, eight or ten individuals, difficult circumstances, close quarters, high levels of determination and stress. But there's another element that makes this unlikely concoction work… called resolve.
We have seen a lot of despair, confusion, fear, and defeatism. People have asked, in disbelief, if we really believe we can change anything. My answer is always the same. Of course we can affect change. Every day more communities and property owners, rural and urban alike, are threatened. This is why we convoy.
The convoy is an experience unlike any other. It is an adventure rich with discovery. It is a pleasure to stand between tradition and the future, amid people from every culture and place on earth, in the spirit of unity, with respect for individuality.
It is equally frustrating to realize that some folks just don't 'get it.' We watch them casually dismiss the facts and walk away, unconcerned. We hope and pray these people will wake up before it's too late; before we are called upon to convoy into their community in a last ditch effort to avert the loss of everything they have worked for. Yet, we take pride in knowing that should that call come we will be there, because we are committed to the preservation of constitutional and property rights for every American. This is democracy, at work. Our record is one of peaceful and equitable resolution and honoring commitment. We expect no less of our elected officials.