One Foot in Front of Other, Chicago to L.A.

Summary

Rasheed Hooda reflects on his past and prepares to recount his 2,500-mile walk from Chicago to Los Angeles along Route 66, which he embarked on four years prior at the age of 62.

Abstract

Four years after embarking on a cross-country journey from Chicago to Los Angeles, Rasheed Hooda is set to revisit his experiences from walking the historic Route 66. The article introduces readers to Hooda's reunion with old friends, including Patrick, Carol, and Andi, whom he hadn't seen in 35 years. Hooda reminisces about their shared past, including a memorable incident on Ogden Avenue, and expresses his excitement to share his journey through notes, photos, and Facebook posts. He invites readers to join him on this narrative journey, offering the option to opt-out of daily updates. The article also provides links to related stories and introduces Hooda as a published author and contributor to the ILLUMINATION writers' community on Medium.

Opinions

Carol's reaction to Hooda's upcoming journey was one of disbelief and concern, as she reminded him of a past mishap on Ogden Avenue.
Hooda views his upcoming storytelling as a reliving of his trip, indicating a positive and nostalgic sentiment towards the experience.
The author seems to hold his past experiences and friends in high regard, cherishing the memories they share.
Hooda's self-description as a "weirdo" suggests a sense of humor and a non-conformist attitude towards life.
The inclusion of testimonials and interviews indicates a level of respect and recognition for Hooda within the writing community.

I can’t believe it’s been four years.

FB post from four years ago, the day before I started my walk

I hadn’t seen these guys for 35 years. They were teenagers, and I was 27 years old. Patrick, Carol, and Andi.

Four years ago, the day before I started my cross-country journey from Chicago to Los Angeles, walking Route 66, I met up with some friends. Some former coworkers from my days as a Pizza Hut manager in Chicago.

Patrick was a real estate guy, now retired because of a physical injury that prevents him from doing much. He wanted to be a Catholic Priest, a dream he said he didn’t really pursue.

Riverfront Park, about a mile from Patrick’s home

Carol was now a high-strung, successful entrepreneur, running a radio show about business and politics. She used to drive a 1966 mustard yellow Ford Mustang.

Andi, well I didn’t know much about Andi because right after I became the manager, she went off to college. These days she was just Andi.

Together, we used to get high after work. Those were the good old days.

Once we got caught up with each other, they wanted to know about this “crazy thing” I was about to do.

“Are you out of your fu**ing mind?” screamed Carol at me. “Don’t you remember what happened the last time you were on Ogden Avenue?”

How can I forget? There were five of us, Carol, Patrick, me, and John and Liz, two more coworkers; we went to see Boston in concert at the Chicago Stadium. On the way back, I was a victim of a pickpocket pro on the bus. I lost my wallet and my keys. I had to call my brother at 1 AM from the bar across the street from where we lived. He wasn’t happy.

Ogden Avenue is Historic Route 66, coming out of downtown Chicago.

Starting tomorrow, I am going to relive my trip, one day at a time. I will recount my journey with the help of some notes and photos I took, along with the Facebook posts I made.

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 I can tag you.

One Foot in Front of Other, Chicago to L.A.

I can’t believe it’s been four years.

My Walking Trip on Route 66

I walked from Chicago to Santa Monica at age 62.

As always, thank you for reading and responding.

Here are a couple of related stories:

Age is just a number — You’re never too old to do what you want or love.

People who remain active, doing what they love, have reasons to keep living.

Miracles on the Road: It happened in El Reno, Oklahoma

I heard it loud and clear — in my head

More about me:

Interview with Rasheed Hooda

Featuring creative writers of ILLUMINATION

RASHEED

Who Is He and What Does He Do?

Rasheed Hooda: Weirdo or Pied Piper?

It’s a small, small world.