WALKING ROUTE 66
There Are No Problems Without A Solution
God does not burden a soul more than it can bear.
When the alarm went off, and I peeked out of the sleeping bag, the crescent moon was high in the sky. By the time I packed up everything and got ready to roll, the sun was coming up. All I could think was, “What a gorgeous life!”
But, not all surprises feel delightful immediately. I discovered that one of the tires had gone flat overnight. My first thought was that I should’ve bought a tire repair kit in Rolla, but I caught myself. I didn’t want to go down that vortex.
I reminded myself to trust God as I started rolling.
My community center in Houston had asked if I would possibly be available to entertain the children on Eid, which would most likely be on the second Sunday of September. I reminded myself that I need to book the tickets before the discounted fares disappear. My inner voice yelled, “Why don’t you do it, right now!”
I pulled aside from the road to get out the phone. That’s when I noticed it — a lawn mower repair shop across the street where I had stopped. I was so busy with my own thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed it.
The shop was not open yet, and no hours were posted. It was only 7 AM. There was a mobile home in the back that showed no signs of activities. I figured I’d wait; I had plenty of time. I made the reservations and was sitting around when someone stopped by in a pickup. He said that the shop owner was a school teacher and won’t be around for a while.
When he learned of my dilemma, he looked in the back of his truck and said, “Dang it, just cleaned yesterday and took the pump out. But don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
He was back in 20 minutes with his wife and all the tools. He not only fixed my innertube, but he also taught me how to do it. When I wanted to pay for their services, she said, “Pay it forward.” Thank you, Laurie and Shorty.
Waynesville was about 13 miles away. About halfway there, I came across Sweetwater BBQ and decided to go in for lunch and shade. Wow! It was a local favorite, and there were a lot of people coming and going. The food was delicious and plentiful.
About 15 minutes after I resumed, a guy on a bicycle pulled out on to the road. The way he was dressed, it seemed like he might be traveling Route 66. Then a van passed me, and a lady on the passenger side was filming me as they went by, so I handed her a flyer.
Petra and Tomas were part of the support team for the biker that I saw earlier. I had met some British bikers a few days ago, and now a Czech cyclist. Route 66 is more popular than I had thought. Tomas was filming, and Petra had a mike. I can get used to the paparazzi. 😎
A year later, I learned via Facebook that Tomas and Petra got married.
David Freeze had told me that the only major challenge he had faced was coming out of Waynesville, where there is a long incline. That meant I would be facing one going into Waynesville. I had no idea what he meant until I faced it; over three miles of a steep downhill trek where I spent all my energy trying to keep my stroller from dragging me down with it.
I was exhausted by the time I reached Anytime Fitness, which was filled with after-work workout junkies. lol. I went over to McD to rest before returning for a shower and some sleep.
As I think back and ponder.
“You are never given a problem, without also its solution.” ~Rasheed Hooda
I learned the above lesson over and over throughout my journey. Most people get stressed when they have a problem, and thus hinder their ability to see the solution. If we just relax and believe that a solution must exist, we can find it easily, or allow it to show itself.
Stay blessed and be happy, my friends.
Day 37: Feeling Blessed (Original blog post)
Just for fun.
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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. (Buy him a coffee)