'Tenderness Tours' leave a trail of awe, appreciation.
By Tom Mullen

Richard Propes likes to travel. Since 1989 he has visited over a hundred cities and towns in Indiana, and many others in Kentucky and Ohio. What makes those visits extraordinary is that Richard is a paraplegic, and all those trips totaling over 3,000 miles were made in his self-propelled wheelchair.

Richard was born with spina bifida and later lost both feet to amputation due to infection. He was also abused as a child, and so he has been riding his wheelchair since 1989 hoping to get our attention and help in the fight against child abuse. We met him when he started attending the Northview Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis and since have become acquainted with his remarkable journey.

Richard calls his wheelchair trips "Tenderness Tours" and how they began and what they've become is a remarkable story. In his own words: "When I began the `Tenderness Tours' in 1989, I never expected it to become a lifelong journey. I had no plan, no agenda, no vision beyond speaking my own truth and healing myself and, hopefully, a few others along the way.... In October 1989, I left Indianapolis from the downtown office of Prevent Child Abuse Indiana with no support team, a backpack on my chair, $20 in my pocket and a few letters proclaiming my mission.... In some way, I must confess, I hoped this tour would be a 'final mission' in my pathetic life.

"Instead, I experienced rebirth after 41 days and 1,086 miles on the roads of Indiana. I traveled by wheelchair the entire way, dependent on the kindness of strangers for my very survival. I was never let down. I came home with a renewed faith in God and humanity, knowing my disability did not define me, my child abuse did not define me.... I came home with a mission for my life."

And how his life has progressed. In addition to his many wheelchair excursions around the Midwest, including one from Indianapolis to Chicago, he has flown to St. Louis, Denver, several cities in Arizona and Orlando, Fla., where he received the Donna J. Stone Award, which recognizes nationally the top volunteer working to prevent child abuse. His efforts have raised something close to $100,000, every penny of which goes to charities that deal with child or domestic abuse.

He accepts donations for his cause, hospitality along the way, and often speaks or meets with sponsoring organizations. Sometimes volunteers escort him or help with logistics and publicity. Some physicians and nurses have provided medical care when needed. Mostly, however, he is self-reliant. One item on a list of needs he showed me demonstrated his modest attitude toward what he does: "Donation of a new/gently used sports wheelchair for use during tour events (a demo model would be acceptable)."

A graduate summa cum laude from Martin University with a degree in counseling psychology, he has supported himself and does not receive disability benefits. At this writing he was waiting for the results of a third vocational interview for a position with a mentoring agency in Indianapolis. Richard lives in a modest northeast home which he purchased, drives his own car, and is considering enrolling in seminary next year.

Many others besides this writer have been impressed by this modest, unassuming, funny man who lives his life with commitment, joy, and--so far as I could tell--total lack of self-pity. If all his awards, keys to cities, plaques, and certificates were laid end to end, including having been named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Gov. Frank O'Bannon, well, it would take Richard a long time to wheel past all of them. And to the surprise of no one who is acquainted with Richard Propes, in 1999 he founded the Tenderness Award to recognize outstanding contributions to Indiana's children. He not only wins honors, he honors others as well.

Every so often we meet people whom it is easy to admire because they live exemplary lives. Some prove to be genuinely modest, full of good humor, and living their lives with faith and courage. Richard Propes has been such a person for me. I hope you'll meet him sometime along the way. He'll be driving a four-wheeler with a backpack attached and probably wearing a smile. Say "hi" and tell him thanks.

--Tom Mullen of Richmond, Ind., is an ordained minister, author, and public speaker. This article is reprinted with permission of the "Palladium-Item," where it was originally published Jan. 30.

Source: 03/02/2005 Newsline
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