WALKING ROUTE 66

I was 62. “You’re Just a Baby,” He Said.

Meeting Bill Gossett and learning about living an abundant life.

I was up at 4 AM as usual. They were kind enough to let me use their restroom to freshen up. I got an egg and cheese croissant and some coffee. A few others came in for their morning coffee as well.

A couple of guys had seen me walking from Shirley to McLean. They were working along the route 66 doing utility work. When I told them I was walking from Chicago to L.A., they laughed. “Better you than me.” said one of them.

It was a gorgeous morning. The sun was shining as I walked from Atlanta to Lincoln, about eleven miles. There is an Anytime Fitness in town. After the power walk this morning, I was ready for a shower.

Freshened up and rested, I decided to go to the local newspaper office down the street to see if I can get some exposure while I was here. They must have been out to lunch. I looked for a place to eat myself. Everything was on the west end of town, about a 30 to 40-minute walk.

I was contemplating what to do when a lady unlocked the front door and went in. I followed, asked if there was a reporter around. A bad week to get any exposure; everyone was at the county fair covering a myriad of activities going on there.

She said there were only a couple of places to get a bite in the area. I decided to try the deli at IGA. In case you’re not familiar, IGA is a grocery chain that used to be huge in the 70s when I came to the U.S., not much these days.

As I was waiting in line at the deli, a gentleman commented on my “outfit” and asked if I was traveling. I handed him my flyer. (It said, age is just a number). He asked me how old I was. I said 62.

“Aw, you’re just a baby. I am 92,” he said. He sure didn’t look it, said he didn’t act it either — a funny guy.

“I am so glad I met you today,” he said as he reached for his wallet. I thought he was a reporter, reaching for his business card. It must be my lucky day.

He looked in his wallet and said, “How you doin’ on money? Can you use some more?” I can always use some more.

He handed me a twenty, and I said, “God bless you, sir.”

Then he said something that blew me away. “He. Just. Did.”

Wow! What an outlook. The blessing is in giving. I remembered something I had heard on a motivational cassette from the Success Motivation Institute years ago.

“Does he give because he has, or does he have because he gives?”

Bill Gossett understood the principle of abundance. I am grateful to have learned it again.

Mr. Gossett said the bench used to be in a barbershop where he used to get his haircuts as a young boy. Now it is in the IGA.

Before we parted, he asked me for my email address. A 92-year-old using email? Yes, age is just a state of mind. (I learned a few days later why he had asked for it).

The lady at the newspaper office told me how to get to the county fairgrounds. They were kind enough to permit me to twist balloons for tips and gave me a spot in a heavily trafficked area. It was a profitable evening.

I walked back to Anytime Fitness to use the yoga mats and get some sleep.

Day 16: Age is Just a Number (original blog post)

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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

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