The Power of Words

Writing is such a powerful tool. A "friend" through the cycling world was killed yesterday in an auto related accident on the Colorado/Utah border on I70. I put the term friend in quotes because I've never actually me the guy in person. I've only been reading his blog, the only blog I read on a daily basis, for about 10 years now. Or almost as long as I've been riding my bike. Steve Tilford was such an influential and amazing person in the cycling world. I rode in a few races with him, although his ability far surpassed mine. I was at many races that he was at, and he was always one of my favorites to watch. He always looked like he was having so much fun while racing his bike. I enjoyed reading his post race reports even more than I enjoyed watching him race. He just had a knack of being able to include all the crucial details and all the thoughts going through his head during a race, without the report seeming too long or getting boring. Incredibly interesting reads and despite him being a world champion and a national champion and despite him being one of the best cyclists of all time, I could still make an incredibly powerful connection through his writing. Through his blog I learned so much about his life, his stories, and his love of nature and animals. So much so, that it seemed like we were best friends, despite never having met in person. It's so incredibly difficult to explain to people. I'm struggling to comprehend his death more so than it seems I should for a person I never made a personal connection with. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and I guess it was his time. Just another reminder to hug your loved ones, tell them you love them, be patient and kind to all, and live in the moment. Make the best of each moment of each and every day. It's amazing the feelings and emotions that can be conveyed through something so simple as writing. The power of words.