WALKING ROUTE 66
I Got Back On the Road in One Piece
Rested, rejuvenated, and grateful as one can be.
August 3rd, 2016: Day 15 of my epic walk, continuing my Freedom Lifestyle. That’s me holding the road sign in front of Dawn’s house. There is hardly any traffic at 6 AM.
I can’t wait to get going and leave Normal behind. Sixty-two hours is more than enough for Mister Weirdo.
Dawn drove me over to Shirley, about three miles from where she had picked me up on Day 13. The vacillation I felt then was nowhere in sight. California, here I come.
We, humans, are funny creatures. We love to create challenges to overcome to feel good about ourselves. Why else would someone who preaches — your body speaks, listen to it — hear his body scream, and keep ignoring it.
A full day’s rest, tending to the body’s ailments, and a new pair of shoes did wonders for my spirit. I reached McLean around Noon and stopped at a McDonald’s across the street from the oldest running truck stop on Route 66. It has been in operation since 1933. It also serves as a Greyhound Bus Stop.
I texted Dawn to let her know that I had made it there. She said that Atlanta was only five miles away, and if I could make it there, she would treat me to the best bread pudding in the world. That confirmed that she was my Guardian Angel; how else would she know my weak spot and use it to motivate me.
After resting about an hour, I made it to Atlanta by 3 PM.
The Arcade Museum was closed. Dawn called the owner; he was out of town. Darn! The restaurant was next door, but they no longer served the bread pudding. Double darn!
I thought I did a great job of being stealth in the corner of the park between the wall and the picnic table, but a cop came by after 10 PM to tell me that the park closes at dusk, and I can’t stay there. No invitation to the City Hall either.
I found a Casey’s down the street, and the lady said she didn’t care if I wanted to put my head down on the table in the corner booth. I promised I’ll buy breakfast in the morning before getting back on the road.
I invite you to tag along if you’re up to it. I am tagging a few friends who I think will be interested. If you are tagged but don’t want to read my stories daily, just let me know in the comments, and I will not tag you moving forward. If you are reading this and aren’t tagged but would like to come along, let me know, so that I can tag you.
Michele Amy Trista Henery Timothy Tim P.G. Sherry Saloni Indra B. A. Linda Sharon Tree Linda Britni Desiree Elisabeth Simona Kristin Helen Julia Chris Rosennab Tom Truenorth Agnes Aurora LauraRaduenz Catherine Joe Stuart Gurpreet BFoundAPen Margie
As always, thank you for reading and responding.
Here are a couple of earlier stories:
Rasheed Hooda is a published author, and a regular contributor and editor for ILLUMINATION, a writers’ community on Medium, where writers support each other.
He is a self-proclaimed weirdo who lives a Freedom Lifestyle and writes about related topics — Travel (a top writer), Personal Growth, Freedom, and entrepreneurship. (Get the Newsletter)
More about me:
An interview by Dr. M Yildiz for ILLUMINATION
Testimonial by other writers.
