WALKING ROUTE 66
You’re on Your Own, Buddy
He said as he handed me a Benjamin Franklin.
No more crutches.
Did I mention that I was planning on roughing the entire trip?
I had learned from other long-distance walkers that it is easier to push a baby stroller than carry a backpack, and I was fully loaded and ready to roll.
The duffle bag held my clothes and other supplies along with a tent. The sleeping bag was strapped to the front of the buggy.
There was no turning back now. No crutches to hold on. Though Nadir didn’t succeed, he had done his best to talk me out of this foolishness.
Now, I had my freedom to pursue my dream, ironically, down Independence Blvd.
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” ~ Kris Kristofferson.
Next stop, Joliet, IL.
Independence Blvd leads up to the town famous as the home for State Penitentiary — and the Blues Brothers.
I was jubilant. I was finally on my way to California on Route 66. I must have walked maybe an hour or an hour and a half when I encountered the first of many encounters with Law Enforcement I experienced over the next six months.
She wanted to know what I was doing, ran my license through the system, signed my t-shirt, and I was on my way.
There was a McDonald that Google said was open 24 hours, except it was the drive-thru, not the dining room, which closed at 11 PM. I got something to eat and started looking for options. I also posted my dilemma on Facebook. I had been talking about the trip on FB for more than a month. Suddenly, I had a whole posse looking for solutions.
You are never alone.
To make the long story short, a rainstorm was raging outside, and it was too late to access the standard help like the Y or the homeless shelter. The c-store next door let me stay inside till about 3 AM, and I caught a few z’s. Then I had to leave because the clerk had to do her chores, and no one can be inside the store for her safety.
She told me there was a casino in town that had a sheltered area with a bench. That’s where I spent the rest of the night.
People often asked me, aren’t you afraid? I never, for a minute, was fearful of anything. I had undertaken the journey to elevate my faith and trust in God/Universe. So fear never really was something to consider.
“If you only knew who walks beside you on the path you have chosen, fear would be impossible.” ~Wayne Dyer
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.
Michele Amy Trista Henery Timothy Tim P.G. Sherry Gurpreet Saloni Indra Sharon Tree Linda Britni Desiree Elisabeth Simona Kristin Helen Julia Rosennab Tom Truenorth Agnes Aurora LauraRaduenz Catherine Joe
As always, thank you for reading and responding.
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
Testimonial by other writers.
