After two years of planning, countless meetings, fundraisers, and talking until I was blue in the face my vision has become a reality. Today I set out to fulfill a destiny, today Walk With Frank begins.
Thirty years ago I had a vision. I had a vision that no young person should have to live through what I lived through without being properly prepared. I decided to do something about it and I began to travel and teach. I talked about PTSD before it was fashionable and became a household word. I studied PTSD from my former enemy and learned how he faired while always sharing what I had learned with others. Now thirty years later my vision has come to fruition.
I loaded art, hiking gear, and Walk With Frank paraphanalia in my van leaving just enough room for my bed and mattress. After countless hours of putting in and taking out I downsized my clothes to two plastic bins. One bin alone is just three pair of hiking boots, gloves, hats, and face gear for the brutal Buffalo and Niagara cold. Niagara sits at the confluence of Lakes Ontario and Erie and the crosscut of Gail force winds coming off the lakes this weekend is predicted to reach 70 mph dropping the wind chill 30 degrees. This is what I’ve geared up for.
February 23rd and I got into the area late last night and pulled into a rest area for the night. I’m on I 90 west just outside of Buffalo. Im anxious and my energy is at an all time high and I’m trying to stay calm. My head is spinning thinking about the hype, the media, and all of my supporters who have anxiously waited for this moment. Reassuring myself to the fact that I’m ready I focus on the less fortunate and those that need my help. The mission, this is what I came for I thought and laid down for the night tucked between artwork and hiking gear an eclectic scene for sure.