STONEWALK 2004: BOSTON, MA to NEW YORK, NY.

August 10th
By Daniel Jones

August 10 – Today was a very difficult day, physically, emotionally and logistically. We started later than usual because we need to be in Portland on Friday afternoon, not Thursday, and we again were a day ahead of schedule. Also, Lewis and Meg came from Sherborn (hooray, Meg is back!) and are staying, so they were later arriving. The people at the Willimantic food co-op were so generous, offering bananas, snacks, and lunch fixins. Standing around the stone on this morning was painfully sad. We left town silently after our remembrance. We had few people today. Clay and Kate who have a mail order business for peace paraphernalia (they made the “Attack Iraq? NO” bumper sticker) joined us after hosting us for dinner last night. A couple people from Willimantic joined us. But we were fewer than usual. We went what seemed like a short distance, but clocking it later in the night, it was over 2.5 miles, and stopped at Murphy’s, a road side diner for lunch. When we got back to the stone after a nice break, we had the great honor of hearing form Camilo Mejia’s aunt who called in to offer us kind words and prayers. We remember Camilo and his brave stance for the same cause.

When we left, I rejoined a staff call with PT while things looked pretty straight or down hill. There are some very exciting developments in Connecticut. I got off the phone and rejoined the caisson as they approached a hill. I did not know it then, but since found out that this was steepest hill we’ve yet climbed. It is over a mile long. All of us pushed, strained, stepped. It was agony even to move my feet forward. Usually looking at my feet or the wheels helps me because I know we are moving. I was afraid these wheels were going to stop, so I did not look. All of us switched positions from pushing to pulling, alternating with our partners on the bars if we had one, walking backwards, forwards. Cat had been yelling to cars to have drivers pull over to help, but stopped as she was getting no response and we need all energy to get up the hill. We finally made it to a flatter part of the hill, and with aching, burning muscles, we collapsed in the shade of an elderly couple’s yard. They had been waiting at their home. I cannot begin to describe how difficult the climb was. It is the first time on this journey that we have almost stopped. I want to especially thank Eric of Vets for Peace and Lewis who would not let us give up. Their passion and determination willed us to the top.

When we re-gathered, we all named on person who has died and the group responded, “ЎPresentй!” To hear the names Bill Kelly, Jr, Bobby McIlvaine, Anna Allison, Scott Johnson and the names of other PT members’ families, as well as Amy Jarret and Bruce Simmons, whose family we have met on our walk, followed by “ЎPresentй!” brought another, deeper feeling to the walk. We ended the day shortly thereafter, after climbing the rest of the hill and another short one. We made it to Columbia. A recent high school graduate was playing soccer on the lawn and joined us for the last ј mile. We were trying to decide what to do and I insisted that I did not have another hill in me. Jeff, the young man, offered us a spot for the caisson, but went home to call his mom first. The priest from the Catholic parish was walking up the street. He would not even look at me and refused to shake my hand or accept a brochure about what we were doing. He refused to let us park the caisson in his lot. Jeff came back and said we could use his family’s driveway. He said he was Catholic, but had not been to church since his 8th grade confirmation. The contrast in who was living the Gospel message at this moment struck me.

I became very tearful at the end of the day, for the push to Jeff’s house and while others cleaned up the caisson. I noticed that no PTers were able to help with clean up as we all seemed to be in the midst of terrible sadness. I did not want to participate in the event in Willimantic, but that was what was in front of us. We decided to go for a beer at the microbrewery instead of showering. That was a restorative decision. Talking about the day with Lewis and Meg, with Barry, Bruce, Dot and amongst ourselves as PTers helped me put the lid on some emotions and prepare for the evening. Dave, Bob, Cat and I discussed how to handle the speaking that night. However, as has often been the case on this trip, the event was in its own way refreshing. We met at a union hall and I couldn’t help but think of Cesar Chavez. I gave a brief history of PT, noting how special it is to belong to PT. Bob spoke passionately and eloquently of his son, his pain, and his realization that his pain connects him to others all over the world. It is hard to listen to such a beautiful man tearfully assert that he will never be happy again. But I will stand with Bob as often as he says it. There was a good discussion after Bob and I spoke. Eric of Vets for Peace shared about military training that dehumanizes enemies and how this walk for him and he hopes for many is the struggle to re-humanize the “other.”

Thank you to all the folks in Willimantic who were so kind to us. We left after the dinner to plug in in Columbia and be closer to the caisson. I will have to share the story of this night in some other format because it is too hard to believe. Please come join us, think of us and if you can, support the works of Peaceful Tomorrows.