Bob’s Possible “Impossible Dream”
By Bill Morris co-authored by Bob Maselle

Pictured above: Bob Maselle and son Doug Maselle
 

It was about this time last summer (almost July)
when Bob joined me for breakfast about 7:00
A.M. in the hotel lounge area where we were
staying in Tunica.
He was dressed in hiking gear and
was sporting what I thought were ski poles – ski poles
in Tunica, Mississippi – the Delta in July!
That is when I was introduced to Bob’s dream.
With a twinkle in his eye and unwavering
conviction in his voice he informed me the two
mile trek that he just completed was part of his
training to begin his bicycle journey to Utah.
I am not a Mississippi native so initially I thought he was
referring to Utah, MS – you know like Philadelphia,
Houston, Decatur, St. Louis (Bay).
However, it was quickly apparent that he was in
training to transport his fireplug-shaped 76-year-old
torso – astride his recumbent bike (recumbent sort of
rhymes with folly or eccentric doesn’t it?) powered
by only his arms and legs to somewhere in the state
of Utah.
As local writers and television news personalities
were to later report, when Bob set out on his quest
back in May, his exact destination was destined to
be his daughter’s home in Cedar Fort some 2800
miles from his own home in Rankin County.
I may have been one the first of Bob’s family, friends, and
associates to learn of Bob’s possible Impossible Dream
– but like most of the other friends, associates, and
family members I was toward the last to hear the
news of Bob’s send-off.
Why? Because rather than to have a few of
us discreetly see him off, Bob in typical humble
fashion, announced the departure on his quest to
the aforementioned reporters who he had assembled
instead of us to chronicle his send-off.
The 2800-mile route is a special route of which
at this reporting Bob has completed approximately
800 miles. His plans are to resume his journey where
he suspended it near Houston – yes, Texas! – in the
fall. The destination objective for the next leg of his
journey is El Paso (another 800 miles).
Bob says he got his idea for the trip more than
30 years ago. At that time he was living in El Paso
when an assorted group of college students and adult
cycling enthusiasts passed through town.
“When that Wandering Wheels group came
through, I thought, ‘By golly, that’s what I want
to do,” and at 76 years - young and active - Bob
Maselle has written the first of three chapters of
….”something I’ve wanted to do for 35 years.”
 

Bill Morris
Century 21 Maselle & Associates
Jackson MS
 601.497.0544
E mail: billmorris@frontdoorkey.com
Website:  www.realtormrbill.com