7/21/2011
Sweltering heat. Mix in some humidity and presto you get insatiable thirst. From the outset, today was rough. Did I really expect to coast through the final days? Despite the trying conditions the day had it’s moments. My spirits flew high and I was swaggering through the streets. Did I just coin a phrase? I think it means to move with swagger. Doesn’t matter, if it does exist already, I’m borrowing it for today.
En route to my penultimate state, I had several people pause to give me compliments. I think happiness radiates and people pick up on the vibe.
When you think of Philly, you think of cheese steaks and the liberty bell. I don’t eat meat so I thought of our founding fathers. I couldn’t help but think about how the eastern states have produced more presidents then the west side. Of course The east has been around longer so they had a head start. The east and the west have their own disticnt flavors. Even the old highways I ran on elicit different imgaes. When I’m on route 66, I feel like James Dean, John Wayne, and Stienbeck. I feel the ghosts of rock and roll. I envision my favorite authors penning books out of motel rooms that smell like cigarettes. When I run route 30 on the eastern side of the U.S. I feel like Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and George Washington. I picture battles happening on the fields beside me. I feel the weight of a time when brother fought brother. Having run across the country, I’ve seen the culture change right before my very eyes.
My accent seems to morph with each place I pass. I pick up the twang and slang of each area. Combined with my looks, I might seem like one confused kid. In spite of it all, I am not confused. On the contrary, I see my path and I am on it. I am a collection of my experiences. Everything which has happened to me from birth till this moment has shaped me into who I am now. It is America that has given me my will to power. It is America that has given me my dreamer’s spirit. It has given me my sense of justice and my love of ideals. It is this great country that has propelled my expedition. America, sweet America!!!!
Leave a reply