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On June 2, I participated in an exhilarating and inspirational event, the Sierra Hope Ride. This is the 13th year for the Ride. It is sponsored and hosted by Mitchell's Harley Davidson Motorcycles in Modesto, California. This is the first year my husband, Bill, and I participated in this charity event. The Ride raises funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's (MDA) fight against neuromuscular diseases. The Sierra Hope Ride is the largest single-dealership event of its type in the country. In 2006, more than $350,000 was raised by the more than 2,000 riders.

Bill and I showed up at the appointed time to begin getting ready for the ride. We were somewhere in the middle of the more than 1,900 riders. What first struck me was the magnitude of the event and the orderly fashion in which it was organized. Three city blocks in Modesto, California were barricaded off from traffic, so the riders could line up to begin the 55+ mile ride to Sonora, California. It was a police escorted ride with no stops along the way.

At the appointed time, the motorcycles roared to life and the excitement began, as we moved into position to begin the ride. We rode through many towns on the way up to Sonora. In each town there were people waiting to cheer us on -- young and old. There were grandmas and grandpas in lawn chairs, families sitting in the back of pick-up trucks, people sitting on the top of block walls, and merchants with banners across their place of business that read, "Thank you -- You Make a Difference". All these wonderful people came out to wave and support us, as we roared by enjoying the ride. Many were wearing t-shirts with the American Flag, or waving a flag. Although we didn't know these people personally, we felt the energy of the camaraderie and good will in each town we rode through.

I tried to make eye contact with a few of the people as we rode by and waved. They always got big smiles on their faces and waved right back. As we rode by, I was deeply touched by how caring and supportive these people were to a bunch of motorcycle riders, who may have even caused them some inconvenience in their daily routines. It occurred to me that during this time, we all felt energetically connected. Many of these folks were out there not just supporting a good cause, but connecting to a community of people who were willing to give up a day of their life to make a difference. The overall feeling I received from this emotional event was the connection we all felt.

Many years ago someone had the seed of the idea for the Sierra Hope Ride. This person allowed the energy of the seed to germinate in their mind, and they followed the ideas that came to them to make this ride a reality. Now in 2007, thousands of people of all ages are participating in the manifestation of this idea. What a difference one person can make . . . Not only did this idea become reality, it benefits much more than the MDA. It also benefits all the spectators and participants by enriching them on an emotional and spiritual level, and reinforcing the connection we have to each other. What a world it would be if we all felt the connection those emotions create!

Are you an Idea Maker? Are you nurturing and allowing your ideas to germinate in your mind until they are ready to clarify the steps for you to take, to make your ideas reality? Are you being vigilant for the vision you have that can make a difference? If you aren't, who will?

As Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up somewhere else."