Bradley Carlson's muscular dystrophy causes brutal leg cramps that leave him crumpled on the floor. He can't climb stairs and curbs, and sometimes he can't even move. But none of that stopped him from putting his best foot forward and walking through his home state of Wisconsin. He walked through 595 incorporated cities, trekking from Lake Michigan to the mighty Mississippi. During his journey, he experienced his share of falls and challenges, but he also met incredible people, enjoyed special moments, and witnessed the breathtaking beauty of his home state, including waterfalls, desert-like dunes along Lake Michigan, and picturesque mountaintops and forest views. Bradley didn't set out on this journey to raise money or hand out brochures. He simply did it to show himself and others that someone with muscular dystrophy can accomplish great things. You'll laugh, cry, meet new friends, and discover new places in this inspirational memoir about one man's refusal to give up while seeing Wisconsin 1 Step at a Time.

WISCONSIN 1 STEP AT A TIME

Taking Steps To Trample Muscular DystrophyBy Bradley Carlson

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Bradley Carlson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-6943-9

Contents

Foreword..............................................................viiIntroduction..........................................................ixChapter 1 Epiphany...................................................1Chapter 2 The Background Story.......................................8Chapter 3 Wisconsin Step at a Time..................................20Chapter 4 Cities 1–100.........................................25Chapter 5 Cities 101–200.......................................67Chapter 6 Cities 201–300.......................................111Chapter 7 Cities 301–400.......................................163Chapter 8 Cities 401–453.......................................212Chapter 9 Cities 454–499.......................................242Chapter 10 Cities 500–579.......................................266Chapter 11 The Home Stretch: Cities 580–595.....................305Chapter 12 Coast-to-Coast Wisconsin...................................319Chapter 13 Reaching the Finish Line...................................329Appendix A: Perspectives..............................................351Appendix B: Muscular Dystrophy: What Is It?...........................384Appendix C: Useful Lists..............................................398Acknowledgments.......................................................421

Chapter One

Epiphany

Wisconsin 1 Step at a Time

It all started out as a bad day, when I was already in a bad mood—one of the worst of all time, to be sure. However, this day of the foul mood would soon become something completely different. Leaving the apartment, I intended to walk off my mood; it was almost noon on a warm and sunny summer day (the type of day that could change a person's mood if he gave it a chance). The plan was a short walk downtown, perhaps through my old neighborhood, before returning home—maybe a two-mile stroll at the most. It would not be as simple as planned.

Gena, a local Pardeevillian, was leaving her home and heading to work—or was it leaving work for her other job? I'm not actually sure. She was following a typical route, probably one she had followed thousands of times before and will follow at least a thousand more. What she couldn't know was that she was about to change my life forever. At first, she was about fifty yards in front of me, and I doubt she even saw me. She was on a roll, heading down to the store her family runs and moving so quickly that I could not possibly keep up. Boy, was she moving fast! Steadily she pulled away, but I continued to follow her all the way to the store. I rounded the street corner a block away just as she was entering the doors. I never caught up to her, and although we never said a word that day, there was a communication between us so noticeably clear that it was almost tangible.

Since that first moment when I noticed her on that sunny day, I have looked back on that single second of life with almost spiritual reverence. My faith in all humankind was neatly restored over the next special hours. It was a moment of eternal splendor when she came into sight, when the whole world stopped, turned around, and looked at me in a completely new way.

You see, my life was not heading where I had planned. My job, which I had thought was a lifelong career, had gone away to China. I was back in school, trying to learn a completely new profession. Sadly, like those of so many others, my marriage had fallen apart and would soon end in divorce. I would have to move on, leaving the life I had cherished behind. It was a time when I felt completely alone in the world. I was temperamental and moody, and I just did not feel good about anything. I was intensely unhappy.

Maybe even you have been there? Have you felt like you were at the bottom of the well of despair and that even the grass was against you? Questions many of us ask ourselves were prevailing in my mind: what am I here for? What is the meaning of life? I was searching for direction, seeking my place in this world and answers to questions that were unknown to my conscious mind.

I can remember things in my life both good and bad; my first time driving and that first accident; going through college with As and yet failing high school Spanish. I'll never forget my first day of school, my wedding day, and all sorts of other momentous events. Yet I cannot think of any one second in life that is so crystal clear as that exact moment ... and I don't know exactly why.

When you learn about my moment, you probably will not see its importance. You may find me to be crazy or a little disturbed. But that is all right. You probably will never grasp how it could possibly be so important, but I do not mind because it is my epiphany, not yours.

Epiphany? What the heck is he talking about? What did happen? He saw a girl on the street and never said a word. There wasn't even eye contact, was there? What exactly is an epiphany anyway? These are all good questions.

Have I mentioned I have Becker's muscular dystrophy (MD)? Have I told you that I incessantly fall down with no good reason why? Have I brought up the brutal leg cramps that leave me crumpled on the floor, unable to move? How about not being able to climb curbs or stairs without railings so that there are many places I wish to visit that I simply cannot? So you say I have not once brought up Becker's or neuromuscular disease? I can't believe we've come this far without talking about my life's blessing.

His blessing? A disease is his blessing? This man must be certifiably mad.

Did I say anything about the tears in gym class when I could no longer stand on my legs from the pain? Did I tell you about the times I have been trapped in a chair at a restaurant because I picked the wrong spot to sit down? Surely I told you how often I fall down in a crowd and become embarrassed when nobody can help me get up? Oh, come on. Surely I must have shared the best thing that has happened in my life, my good fortune, and my gift?

Good fortune? Best thing in his life? OK, it's settled. Let's close the book now because this guy is completely off his rocker. Or is he?

I am sure I brought up rarely going to movies because I cannot get out of the seats to go home. Well, at the very least, I must have mentioned how much I enjoy getting funny looks from ushers and ticket salespeople when I ask for a seat without steps to it at events. How about mentioning that winter snow and ice cause five months of near-hibernation each year? No? Well, then, I must not have told you about my dear friend and lifelong companion, Becker's MD.

Yes, it is official, he is cracked. He is totally out of his mind, and we need to get away from this book now. His disease is a dear friend and companion. It is probably time to put this book away. Or we could read more to see what other bizarre things might come out of him.

I can say that mental illness is not what this book is about. There are times that may be questionable, but so far, I am not under psychiatric care. Talking to such doctors can be very helpful, but it is a subject not at all associated with this story, though at times you may wonder about me. But, then, what is the book about?

Oh, OK, let's think ... he said it's about his epiphany. He saw a girl. It was a sunny day. It was ...

...