6/30/2011

George the stroller is past his prime. His heyday has passed him by. His tires are balding and he is tattered and torn from our various battles against the road. He is looking to retire and enjoy quiet strolls in the park. I find that I’m sharing his sentiment. My shoes, just like his tires, are worn. My body, it doesn’t know what it’s supposed to feel. I bet if I woke up without and ache, I would think something was wrong.

So I started my day at the Mansfield, Ohio Reformatory. I excitedly waited at the gate bright and early. It would be a day of tourism and ghost hunting. The creepy prison was better than I expected. The rusted iron and peeling paint everywhere gave the dungeons a feeling antiquity. The long rows of cells went on and on.

The architect of the building actually c...

6/29/2011

Timing is everything. Last night I arrived at my hosts place a tad too late for dinner. They have a huge banquet hall where bingo takes place on Tuesday evenings. I took that as my que to get to bed early. I took a hot bath in the Peace cabin then knocked out for the entire night until the morning.

I had the chance to chat with Bonnie and Dave of the Hope Cabins just after I packed my things into George the stroller. Turns out, Bonnie will be in Washington D.C. the day that I arrive. Once again, it seems nothing on this trip is left to chance. I left early enough this morning but, I kind of took a little time to look around and take pictures on my way to Mansfield. I figured I’d get to the Reformatory where “Shawshank Redemption” was filmed in plenty of time...

6/28/2011

The last thing I need on the home stretch is an enthusiastic telemarketer breaking my stride and draining my cell phone battery. These callers always have a knack for calling at the worst time. I don’t care how many times they’ve watched “Death of a Salesman” but, they have no chance of closing here. The irritation in my voice should alert them that I’m not interested. Yet, the persistence is unbelievable. I’ve resorted to hanging up on them when I hear their intro. But, who knows, maybe if one of them comes at me with something spectacular I will bite.

It’s been three states of running past vast farmland. There are few distractions. Clarity is the only option. When there is no clutter, things become very simple. Answers to age old questions reveal themselves...