3/30/2011
I got an early start at a travel center who’s Subway doesn’t honor the five dollar footlong special. This special is pretty key to my journey. Today I ran unplugged. No Portugese lessons. No radio or music. It was just me and the oncoming traffic. I was more aware of the motorists than usual. It felt like I was recieving more support than usual as well.I’ve found that I can generally group the truckers into two groups. There are the ones that are super friendly and willing to help out a motorist or someone in need. The second group are the ones that feel they own the road because they have the mean looking Optimus Prime big rigs. These guys are willing to bully the little Prius and even the solo runner. Today’s truckers were flashing me peace signs, thumbs up and honking their horns in support. It was great. They obviously belonged to the first group of truckers.
With the heightened awareness, I felt kind of bothered by the litter on the side of the freeway. I mean it bothered me before but I was more sensitive than usual today. I wondered to myself why people would throw their garbage out the window. I wondered how long some of the litter had been sitting out in the middle of nowhere. And, I wondered if the people and companies that adopt highways really take care of the area they have adopted. We’ve got this planet to live on and I don’t know why people insist on trashing it. They wouldn’t poop in their living room would they? My run is about literacy but, it’s also about the responsibility we have to this planet. If you don’t understand how the two are related then you should sit and think long and hard.
I passed several catapillars inching their way across my path and I wondered what kind of journeys they were on. I wondered if they would ever become butterflies or if their destinies were to be smashed by huge semi trucks. I’d like to think they will make their way across and become what they’re meant to become. Just like me they are taking their tiny steps. Just like me the wind helped give them a little lift today.
I ended the day at the rest area thirty-four miles away from my starting point. I felt good enough to run ten more miles but we thought it was best to call it. The rest stop was closed off but somehow my mom made it in. To cap off the day another car from Texas wandered in as well. A guy named Gene asked me if I needed any help because I was relaxing out the back of the Rav 4. I told him I was fine and that I was running across country giving books away to kids and reading at schools. He had a daughter in the back of his car and I gave him a book. It was a good end to a pretty good day.
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