Stories by Joy

August 21 2025

A Dream Come True

If you could have seen their faces . . . or mine, you would understand why I say a visit to my alma mater Washington Center Elementary School was a dream come true. In front of me sat 272 smiling children the same age as me when I said, “I want to be: 1) a teacher and 2) an author.”

For fifty years my second goal eluded me. When that dream came true, Finding Joy in the West: A Quest to Ride My Bike in All Fifty States was published in April, I had to go back to my roots. The desire to return to the school where I grew up, the school that molded me into the person I am today grew as each day passed. I needed to tell those children to follow their dreams, never give up, not listen to naysayers, and to find their joy.

Through many phone calls, emails, and a visit with principal Keith Goldfuss, we scheduled a talk that will forever be emblazoned in my heart. Tuesday afternoon, he introduced me to the largest, most respectful group of wide-eyed listeners I have ever stood before. I set my note cards on a table (never to be looked at again) and began with a thank you to their principal, teachers, and them for their undivided attention. After thirty minutes of telling them how remarkable they are, how dreams can come true, and that the world needs their unique contributions, 200 hands shot up.

Their short questions led me to long answers, yet they stayed focused despite me losing mine. We could have engaged for another hour, but busses and cars were lining up to take them home—home where I hoped they would share with their parents that they had witnessed an author hold back tears because she had just realized a dream come true. And they too had dreams they knew would one day come true.

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

August 7 2025

An Unexpected Gift

Nostalgia brought me to the Whippi-Dip in Norton Shores, Michigan. Being a family of eight who often brought friends on our vacations, we may have only stopped once or twice for ice cream, but the Whippi-Dip remains a landmark for my family. We often stayed at PJ Hoffmaster State Park and Maranatha Bible Conference nearby and had to pass the iconic shop to get there.

So, on my trip north, I camped at the state park and rode my road bike for a picture. From the parking lot, I sent a group text so my siblings could join me on my trip down memory lane. Then I noticed a tiny shop to the side with beach towels, sunglasses, floatation devices, lawn chairs and more. As I walked through the open doors, Mark greeted me with a smile and his story.

He has been the owner of the ice cream shop for 29 years. Ten years ago he turned the storage shed into an opportunity for additional income. Mark said he is priming his son to take over the business so he can travel more to Central and South America to fish, dive, and relax.

I asked if he had any beach chairs. He had sold out. Just the day before I had wished I had one to make reading on the beach easier and had looked at two stores to no avail.

He paused. “Oh wait. I have a couple over here that got left outside. Can’t sell them because they are rusting. You can have them if you want them,” he said, picking up a chair outside his shop.

“Are you sure?”

Within the hour I was back with my hybrid bike with a rack on the back. Strapping them on my bike didn’t work so he made a strap out of my bungie cords, helped me swing it over my shoulder and I was off with a gift from a man I will always remember for his generosity—for an unexpected gift.

Have you ever received an unexpected gift? Please share your story.

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

July 24 2025

It Always Works Out

After six years of camping in my tiny house, I have concluded it always works out. On my friends and family tour this summer, I first camped with my brother and sister-in-law in Tennessee. It was HOT with a capital H! But we had electric at our site, which means we could run the air conditioner day and night.

In Ohio, I reserved one of ten sites available for travelers at a campground for seasonal campers. It is not a destination campground, but a safe place to leave my rig while I stayed with my friend Amy.

It was still HOT in Indiana when I arrived at my friend Lynda’s. Thankfully, she provided 30 amps (the air conditioner requires 30 amps), plus unlimited showers and internet. Also, my sister, Lynn, allowed me to use her car. My friend Kathy updated my website. And my friend John replaced my wipers, fixed my ceiling fan, and resolved an annoying electrical issue.

The temps. in Kalamazoo, Michigan were equally HOT, but I plugged my tiny house into my cousin Linda’s neighbor Kathy’s garage and stayed at Linda’s house. I left the windows open, which kept my rig from becoming a sauna. As a bonus, Linda’s husband John fixed a computer glitch which allows me to keep limping along with my old laptop.

In Grand Rapids, I toured the Frederik Meijer Gardens with Heidi and Jean, friends from the Keys. Next, I visited with my cousin Mark for a few hours before driving to a Muskegon state park. Beth and Lori, more friends from the Keys, met me for lunch.

While in Muskegon, the Midwest heat wave finally broke. Cooler temperatures mean sleeping with open windows at my friend Tim’s in Elk Rapids.

It always works out.

Got an “it always works out” story? Please share.

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

July 10 2025

The Caretaker

He claimed to be the caretaker, not the owner. . .

As I crested the mountain, a smile spread across my face. Not because my knees had survived the steep grade to the top of the Norris Dam overlook in Rocky Top, Tennessee, but because of what I saw. It was an old, old car with a pristine blacker-than-black paint job so polished I could see myself in the reflection. After parking my bike, I approached the presumed owner sitting on a bench, taking in the view.

“Hi! Is that yours?” I said, gesturing to the antique behind him.

“Yes.” The man sitting with a woman about the same age said. “Well, technically, I’m the caretaker, but that’s a long story.”

“I love to hear stories. That is one beautiful car! What year is it?”

“It’s a ’37 Oldsmobile.”

“Unbelievable! Can you tell me about it? I’m Joy, by the way.” I said, extending my hand as he stood.

“Dana. And this is my wife, Denise.” He said, nodding toward the woman as he gripped my hand. “Been married 56 years. High school sweethearts. . . Yes. Every old car has a story. My neighbor bought it from his cancer doctor. We rode all over the place in it. When Bob died, his kids didn’t want it. They knew how much I loved it, so they gave it to me.” Dana’s voice cracked and he apologized for wiping a tear.

“Oh my. That’s a story alright.”

“Yeah. I’ve had it since 2015, and I still get choked up when I think about Bob and his kids. We were more than just neighbors. I promised his kids I’d take care of it. Got it painted, but I’ve left the interior. It’s all original. Come look. In fact, why don’t you sit in it? I’ll take your picture.”

Ten minutes later, a newcomer interrupted our talk and photo shoot with questions of his own. As Dana felt compelled to respond, I thanked him for bringing me such joy and dismissed myself.

I’ve kicked myself for not exchanging contact information, but that’s how life goes sometimes. Maybe one day Dana will stumble across this story and discover he gave me more joy than I could give him.

I found joy that day, not in reaching a pinnacle, but in hearing the story of an old car and its caretaker. Got an old car story? I’d love to hear it.

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

June 26 2025

Take Time to Celebrate

I want to encourage you to take time to celebrate. A year ago, on my 60^th birthday, I had a party to celebrate what I thought was the near completion of my first book, Finding Joy in the West: A Quest to Ride My Bike in All Fifty States. Sending my manuscript to my editor, Mari Ann, for a final run, warranted taking time to celebrate. (Click here to read that blog.)

I didn’t even have a publisher; still I took time to celebrate. I’m learning to celebrate milestones now because when I graduated from high school, I didn’t take time to celebrate. My summer job began the Monday after graduation. I would celebrate when I earned my bachelor’s degree. Before I graduated, however, I had already committed to a master’s program. Again, no time to celebrate. Then, I took my finals early because my teaching job required me to be in Georgia before the summer session ended.

So, the pattern of not celebrating milestones continued until I bought my first house. I had a party. Another party followed the completion of my doctorate. The same happened when I retired. Then, since my 60^th birthday coincided with my manuscript submission, I celebrated.

This year has been so busy with promoting my first book, writing my second, posting blogs and newsletters, traveling and making future travel plans, that I didn’t want to take time to celebrate. I realize, though, that as mid-year approaches, it is good to celebrate accomplishments, then focus on goals for the second half of the year. So tonight, I will celebrate.

A year ago, my book didn’t even have a title. Now, it is available online and in a few bookstores. As I celebrate, I encourage you to look back one year, five years, or even ten. Look at what you have accomplished and take time to celebrate.

You’ve heard about my accomplishments. I’d love to hear about yours. Please email me or comment here.

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

June 12 2025

Finding Joy in the Journey: What I Learned from My First Podcast

When Barbara Tucker invited me to be a guest on her podcast, Dialogues with Creators, I thought I’d be talking about traveling in my motorhome, my quest to ride my bike in all fifty states, and writing my book Finding Joy in the West. But as the conversation unfolded, something unexpected happened: I heard my own story in a new way. I realized again that I was finding joy in the journey.

Barbara’s first question was about how I ended up in Georgia after growing up in the Midwest. After attending the same public school system from K-12, graduating from a well-respected Liberal Arts College close by, and earning a master’s degree from Indiana University, I dreamed of teaching in my hometown. A woman told me I would never get a job in the school system I attended. I believed her and subsequently followed my sister Sandi and my brother Tom to Georgia. Until recently, I hadn’t thought about how one person’s words totally changed the trajectory of my life. What a lesson for young people. “Don’t let anyone steal your dream.”

Barbara’s questions didn’t just ask where I’d been or where I was going. They touched on why I travel, what is so special about riding a bike, and how my childhood dreams of riding and writing had unfolded. In speaking those answers out loud, I realized on another level that I am living my dream. I am finding joy. And I am encouraging others to do the same.

I didn’t realize how far I have come until I listened to the interview. Being on the podcast wasn’t just a chance to tell my story. It reminded me that joy isn’t something we find once. It’s something we keep choosing. I have often written, “Keep finding your joy.” It’s something we need to remind ourselves of every day.

Thank you, Barbara, for asking questions that made me reflect on my journey. Your interview carried me back to where my dreams began.

When was the last time you told your story? I challenge you to share it with a friend. Your story might just lead you to finding joy in the journey too.

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

May 29 2025

A Tribute to David Clark, Superman

On October 17, 2015, I had the honor of riding a stationary bike alongside two ultra-runners for twenty-four hours. My friend Gregg Ellis organized an event to raise money for the Carter Hope Recovery Center in Dalton, Georgia. He invited me to ride with him. He also invited his friend from Colorado, David Clark, known to many as Superman. To commemorate ten years of sobriety, David planned ten epic runs in 2015. Number eight of David’s ten runs was Gregg’s 24-hour treadmill run.

At the end of the event, David handed me a copy of his first book, Out There: A Story of Ultra Recovery, with the inscription: To Joy, My awesome friend that suffered by my side so awesomely. Keep going! David Clark

I read it right away. (Well, after a nap, of course.) David wrote about his life, addiction, and path to becoming an ultra-runner.

In 2019, David wrote another book, Broken Open. And in May 2020, he released his third. Less than two weeks later, David had herniated disc surgery, and on May 21, 2020, at age 49, David died from surgery complications. After hearing the news on Rich Roll’s podcast (episode 521), I read all his books, wanting to better understand the Superman I had pedaled beside. (It surprised me to read in Broken Open he had included my name along with Gregg’s and a few others in his description of epic run number eight.)

Fast forward five years. Two weeks ago, I grabbed my signed copy of Out There off my shelf and flipped through it. Over the next several days, I listened to it on Audible from a new perspective—as an author. Then I listened to his second book, and his third. David had a gift, a rare ability to put words to emotions, pain, and beauty.

David inspired me as an athlete when I met him ten years ago. He inspired me five years ago through his story of resilience. And now, as an author who struggles to describe my thoughts and God’s creations, David is teaching me, through his words, how to write more deeply and vividly.

I wish I could tell him what a talented writer he was. He truly was Superman—not just because of what he overcame, but because of what he gave the rest of us—the belief that we can thrive, too.

Who inspires you? Have you told them lately? Don’t wait.

May 15 2025

Maybe all we need to do is lower the bar

Maybe all we need to do is lower the bar. Yesterday marked 1000 days of reaching my steps goal. One thousand days ago wasn’t January 1 or my birthday, nor had I set a goal of 1000 days. It was a random Thursday in August 2022. Though I didn’t begin with this end in mind, reaching the 1000-day milestone didn’t happen by accident.

After receiving a Garmin watch for my birthday, I spent a couple of months experimenting with a steps goal that would stretch me as a physical education teacher turned writer yet still be attainable on days when my feet were sore from riding or mowing. Since most days I far exceeded my mark, I considered raising the bar. But on nights when I was walking in my neighborhood at 11:00, I knew it was just right.

Greg McKeown wrote in Effortless about setting lower and upper limits—do enough to keep the chain going, but not so much that you burn out. Inspired by this 1000-days milestone, I’ve lowered my lower limit for writing Finding Joy in the East. Restarting after focusing on Finding Joy in the West was a struggle. Then, I remembered Jon Acuff’s advice, “start with fifteen minutes.” So, that’s what I did. If it feels right in a few months, I can raise it, but for now, it’s set at fifteen minutes a day.

In Focusing on The Big Rocks, I wrote about putting the big, most important rocks in the jar first to keep the pebbles and sand from taking over. Writing Finding Joy in the East must remain my big rock. What about you? Have you been missing a goal because the bar is too high? Think like a high jumper: start low, build confidence, then raise the bar, but not too high. When it’s too high, we feel defeated. We know we can’t jump that high, so we don’t even try. Try it. Lower the bar. What do you have to lose?

*Photo Kb Wilkey