*TUE SEP 09** East Side UMC, East Chicago to Marquette Park UMC, Gary, IN* After Circle-up I got on my bike and rode the route through the industrial area. I think the route was designed so that the Marchers could personally confirm the information the locals gave yesterday afternoon and evening. It’s clear why the environment of the cities joining the lakefront has been poisoned. I suspect I could have chosen a more direct route but I thought it necessary to take the tour. As I got further along the route I found the directions confusing. I stopped and asked for directions several times. Sometimes people didn’t know their way around, sometimes I got misdirection. The neighborhood was mixed Latino and Black. I found an elderly man out on his front porch. I asked for directions. He made several attempts to give me directions. I had a hard time understanding his dialect. He finally suggested that I put the bike in his pickup and he’d drive me there. It was 3 or 4 miles further. He didn’t say anything about what it would cost, but I handed him a $5 bill and thanked him. He was pleased. I helped set up at the church and then caught up on some journaling. We cooked our own dinner but there were contributions from local residents and church members. After dinner there was an All-Camp meeting. The topic was how we, as Marchers, get training for demonstrating. Apparently there had been some demonstration on today’s March that many Marchers were disappointed with. When the topic of demonstration arose the day before I realized that our family spent 20 years demonstrating—demonstrating that it was possible to live cooperatively, with minimal income, assisting those who are poverty stricken, dispossessed, or culturally deprived and helping them build their community from the ground up instead of waiting for something to trickle down from the top. Because of that I have a difficult time identifying how to demonstrate on the March. When it was time to end the meeting there was an interest expressed in continuing the discussion. Then it was time for bed. Tomorrow is a 20+ mile March. -- Peace, David