WALKING ROUTE 66

She Listened to Her Inner Voice — This is What Happened.

A desire to serve creates miracles.

Carlinville is about 20 miles from Virden. I had walked 22 miles the day before, so it didn’t seem difficult.

After eating breakfast and responding to well-wishers and followers on FB and Patreon, I headed out. There was a town called Nilwood, about 8 miles away. A good spot to get lunch and some rest before heading out to Carlinville.

Or, so I thought.

It’s a town of 300 people, with nothing; not even a c-store.

A dog saw me approaching and got excited. The lady of the house came out to see what was all the commotion. I waved as I went by. Just beyond the house near the trailer park, there was a tree casting a shadow.

It will have to be the World Headquarters for the afternoon. I tossed my pillow down for cushion and got to work on the phone. I needed to do my mid-day updates on FB to let everyone know I was alive and well.

Lady from the house came by with chips and iced tea. I was munching on my dates and cashews. Thank you, kind lady, but I’ll pass. I should’ve taken the iced tea, methinks.

As I was working, a gentleman using a cane, from the trailer park came by with a bottle of COLD water. I took the bottle. He reached into his overalls and produced another bottle. Then he reached into another pocket, pulled out a wad of money and said, “Just take it.”

I was getting emotional, but then he said something that just did the trick. “Could I offer you a hug?”

If he only knew.

I am a big hugger. That is one of the things I miss the most during this period of social distancing.

I learned later from people on FB that he is always helping out people that ride past the town.

The next twelve miles to Carlinville were torture.

There was nothing but cornfields and hot sun for as far as you can see. Instead of three miles per hour, I barely managed a little over two, but I made it to Hardees.

I asked the cashier if she knew how far was the truck stop. She said not too far, maybe 7 or 8 miles. I said, oh well, the shower will have to wait till tomorrow. I ordered my food and went to freshen up. Using a hand towel, I took a sponge bath and changed the shirt. I felt like a new man.

As I was chillaxing with my food and FB, the manager came by to introduce herself. She said her staff had filled her in on my situation. Had I found a place for the night? Not yet.

Her inner voice had inspired her to call her deacon, who has arranged a room in a local motel and will give me a ride there if I don’t mind waiting till 7:30. Well, I wasn’t in any rush to go nowhere.

Kirti Patel, the motel owner, hailed from the same part of India to which my parents belonged. I was able to get my laundry done, take a shower, and get to bed by 11 PM. I thanked the deacon for his generosity. He said he was practicing what he preached. I can appreciate that.

As I reflect back

The day before, I had planned on spending the night in Auburn but was “forced” to walk to Verden. It turned out to be a much better solution than it seems.

If I’d stayed in Auburn, there was no way I could have made it to Carlinville from there, and Nilwood had nothing to offer, though I know it would have somehow worked itself out.

Many a time in life, we do not understand why things don’t go according to plans, or why we face unexpected challenges. It is because an Intelligence with a much better understanding of the “bigger picture” is guiding us. When we put our trust in our Higher Self, facing these challenges, don’t seem as daunting.

That is something I experienced again and again throughout the journey.

“God doesn’t intend to make it difficult; He wants life to be easy for you if you only knew.” ~ Holy Qur’an

Day 22: A Bed? What’s That? (More detailed original blog post)

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As always, thank you for reading and responding.

Here are a couple of earlier stories:

https://readmedium.com/they-think-were-crazy-but-you-sir-are-crazy-6718f1d35cf3

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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