When You Have a Larger ReachThan You Think

Summary

Rasheed Hooda reflects on the unexpected support and community engagement he received during his journey on Route 66, which made him realize the extent of his reach and the importance of trusting in a higher power.

Abstract

Rasheed Hooda's journey along Route 66 took an unexpected turn when he realized the magnitude of support from friends and followers. Initially intending to make up for lost time, he was struck by the unnecessary pressure he put on himself. After a much-needed rest and encouragement from his friend Dawn, he updated his blog and was overwhelmed by the outpouring of concern and well-wishes. This experience renewed his sense of gratitude and trust in divine guidance. The article also invites readers to follow his journey and shares earlier stories, highlighting his role as a writer and contributor to the ILLUMINATION community on Medium.

Opinions

Rasheed acknowledges the unnecessary pressure he placed on himself to cover a certain distance within a specific time frame.
He expresses genuine surprise and delight at the level of engagement and concern shown by his social media connections and blog followers.
Rasheed feels a strong sense of gratitude towards the people who have shown support and towards a higher power for providing guidance and reass

I was delightfully surprised to learn that.

A stop along the hiking/biking trail. Photo by Rasheed Hooda

The plan was to start early on day 14 to make up for the lost ground. As I write this, I am taken aback by the lunacy of the statement. What lost ground? There was no deadline by which I had to complete the journey. There were no requirements for mileage covered daily.

When I woke up, I had neither the energy nor the inclination to go on. Dawn had insisted that I rest up. I asked if she could drop me off at the library while she was at work. Instead, she handed me the spare key to her house in case I wanted to break in the new pair of shoes.

“Yesterday was a heck of a day,” I posted on Facebook.

Within minutes the phone rang. It was a Toastmaster friend from Houston. She was concerned. I had not posted the daily recaps on my blog for two days, and now this. What is going on? Am I okay? Do I need anything?

The outpouring of comments and concern on Facebook made me realize that I had more people following my adventure than the likes and comments had made me believe. I received several more calls throughout the day with concerns and support, plus assurance that they had my back in case of emergency.

I was surprised and delighted. The feeling of gratitude was back. How could I be so apathetic? I was supposed to be trusting God. He was showing me that I can; that I am covered no matter what.

Dawn came by at lunch to check up on me and drove me to the library. I got some work done and updated my blog. More outpouring of love was shown by those who were following the blog. I walked back, wearing my new shoes. They felt great. It’s amazing what a day’s rest can do for your body and your spirits. I slept soundly that night.

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.

WALKING ROUTE 66

When You Have a Larger ReachThan You Think

I was delightfully surprised to learn that.

As always, thank you for reading and responding.

Here are a couple of earlier stories:

The Mayor Wants to Buy You Breakfast

I can get used to all this fame.

Be Careful What You Ask For

Chances are you might get it.

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.