Observation:  Half-way thru today’s ride I came upon an abandoned house with large photo prints attached to plywood boards covering the windows.  It was interesting how they struck me.  It was the same feeling I get when I come upon a beautifully well-kept house surrounded by blocks of blight, all too common in Detroit.  The individuals in these prints seemed like regular people and after stopping to snap a picture, I came upon house after house with the same decor.  I noticed a sign labeled “Excel Youth, Photography Program” and have since learned the program is sponsored by Focus: Hope, which has educated and empowered middle-school students through the art of documenting how they see Detroit.  Being I have my own way of seeing the city and visualizing what it means to me, I felt these houses were suddenly more alive because of what these kids had added to them.  They were not only canvases but also a window into the people who make this city tick day-to-day along with dreams of a better tomorrow like I feel we all have.

Distance:  28.97 miles

D-Fact:  The official motto of Detroit: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus, which is Latin for “We hope for better things; it shall rise from the ashes.”