So yesterday I decided to walk home from work. Something I haven’t done in a very long time. I must admit it was tough walking 5 miles in the sun, but It felt great and sort of like an accomplishment. A race with no prize at the end, nor a crowd applauding me, just bragging rights i guess…
All I had was $2.52 in my pocket. I thought I could probably jump on the bus and get home sooner, but the bus took forever. By the time the bus drove by I had been walking 3.5 miles already. By then I decided to just keep strolling along. As I walked I started thinking…There are people out there who will walk for miles with no destination, no home, no money, and possibly no family to get to. I thought to myself, this is probably what homeless people feel like. I can’t imagine a life with no destination… I looked around and begin to notice everything. Something I don’t do much when I drive thru this part of town. I began to waive at random old folks sitting infront of their homes, their tire shops and abandoned lots. I wondered what their everyday life was like. I saw Random BBQ joints, tons of churches and car dealers I’d probably never do business with. I ran into a few junk yard dogs but luckily one was chained and the other was sleeping.
As I looked ahead I could see downtown, but it was so freakn far. I was tempted to sit at the bus stop and just wait, but I pumped myself up to keep going. Every time I glanced at Downtown Nashville, there was this sense of hope knowing that eventually I’d get there. Interesting thought, when you can see your destination and goal, this huge sense of hope rises inside of you. Doesn’t it? I was in a rough part of town but it didn’t matter because I could see the downtown buildings. My apartment is literally about 5 minutes from downtown. So I kept going…
Then another random thought came to my head. As I walked I realized and accepted the fact that this universe does not revolve around my life, my music, my blog, my anything! I was this random guy, walking 5 miles home, with only $2.52 in my pocket. Nobody stopped on the side of the road to ask if I needed a ride, if I was lost or maybe I needed a cold drink. People went on ahead with their lives. Reality set in and prospective took control. I am but a grain in the sand and nothing mattered on this lonely road. So I started to appreciate everything I take for granted. I felt selfish for constantly asking for more, when I have so much to be thankful for. I thought of my wife and my boys the whole way there, and our future.
When the bus finally showed up, I decided to skip out on it and keep walking some more. The more I walked downtown began to get bigger. My destination was getting closer and closer. I don’t recommend walking in Converse for miles at a time though…My feet were killing me…My calves felt like Popeyes calves. My fingers were swollen and looked like sausage links. My body was drenched in sweat. My eyes needed wipers to keep the sweat out. So I stopped to buy a Gatorade at a gas station and get some sort of hydration. By this time I had walked 1.5 hrs. Ironically the total for my Gatorade was $2.50 leaving me 2 pennies. That Gatorade must have been the best drink I’ve had in my life… Sometimes when I drive home I see random dudes walking on the side of the roads and I say, “where the heck are they going?” They’re literally on the highway!!!” Today I was that random guy in the middle of the intersection. Today someone said, “who the heck is that dude walking in the middle of the road?” This walk really did a number on me. I really feel in my heart God spoke to me through everything my eyes saw and everything I felt. So what’s the moral of the story? There isn’t one…I walked 5 miles home from work, and it was the coolest time ever. I recommend it to all.
-fuser+
