But We Did Come Along...

[Guest guest]

Each story seems to reveal several more I've long forgotten...it's

somethines hard to keep it to the one story. Maybe it's that book that

keeps demanding I write it, that covers them all...

I had recently moved back to the southeast, after the crash and burn, of

one more relationship. Seems my track record amounted to a close

relationship lasting the average of 2 to 2 1/2 years.

I had come back to the south, as I hadn't been here in awhile, traveling

everywhere else; living anywhere but the places I had grown up around.

But I needed to see those greener trees, breath a little fresher air,

drive down a road that I couldn't see around the next curve for miles,

because of all the trees.

I came back to lick my wounds, maybe even to heal some older ones. I

wound up at my mom's, where I really hadn't planned on going, but just

happened...kind of listless, no apparent idea of what I was going to do

next.

It had been the first time I had been to see her since my brothers death

at sea, and I had no plan of staying long.

I stayed about a week before leaving for Flordia, and sure didn't have a

clue of what I wanted to do, or knew where I was going then either. I

ended up on the beach near St. sburg...I'd been there before as a

kid...maybe I was looking for memories, better times, something.

I slept in the car, on the beach, careful to avoid beach patrols to

prevent that very thing, and just thought alot. Maybe, maybe I was

trying not to think.

I spent about 3 days there, walking the beach...looking for answers. I

didn't pay much attention to the fact my feet and legs had started to

swell, sunburned, posioned. I could not stand the feel of my pants legs

brushing against the fleash, couldn't put back on my shoes, I was in

dire pain...with no remedy of any kind. I ws walking pain.

I decided it best to make it back north to my mother's and would decide

what to do about things then, perhaps, going back to Denver. You should

seen me at gas stations...I looked like someone just released from an

insane institution, and battered by whatever monster had gotten a hold

of me. It took almost an hour to get out of the car, hobble in and out,

and then to get back in.

Once back to mom's she helped in getting some various things together to

treat the burn, and the swelling. It must have taken a week to recover,

but I did. Thankfully.

Now, I had been spending some time with my 16 year old son, who lived a

few towns over. His mom and I had parted ways years ago but were still

good friends. I had seen little of my son in all my travels and moving

around. This was good for us both. A unique side point is I married his

mother on June 5th of one year, and Josh was born June 5th, 2 years

later. But then, we parted ways, June 5th, 2 years after that.

Although we were toying with the idea of starting a painting company in

the area, and did a few houses together, I decided it was time for

something else, a trip. We were going to drive across the united states,

ending up at my brothers in L.A., and then return...but taking out time.

Much like anything I've ever done, we just went. I'd figure out what to

do on the way. I knew we had little money to do this, but that had never

stopped me before, be it hitch-hiking across the states, or the time his

mother and I took 10-speed bicycles on just as long a trip before he was

born, nor, any other time I wanted to be someplace else.

Maybe I thought there ws a lesson in the trip, although it was just good

to spend the time together. He would see that sometimes, you decide on a

choice and go with it, everything will come as needed. Maybe it was I

wanted him to see that even if things got bad, there was a way...it was

never as it first appears. And let me tell you...stranded out on the

road without gas money, or a car that just caught fire and melted all

the wiring, but you got it out with dirt and sand, and rewired it so it

ran better than before...those things just aren't picked up from a book.

Maybe I wanted him to see tht most people are really good, if you only

give them a chance. Many things did come to mind.

I remember one time, we were just about out of fuel, hoping to get to

yet another exit, where I could do alittle something in work or trade,

to pick up alittle cash. At about this time, we drove by an RV on the

side of the road, an older man on the passenger side up under, trying to

change the inside rear tire.

Maybe I thought that if I stopped to help, it might be some gas money,

if it was offered, maybe it was, something else entirely....I'll go with

the last one.

We stopped and backed up, being on the interstate someplace outside of,

I don't even remember now.

We got out to help the man, just as his wife was getting out of the RV,

and we looked over at what the old man was doing. If you've ever had to

change a tire on an RV, or even a bigger vehicle, it's a job all

itself...he had it up almost as far as his, not made for this work, jack

would take it, and had the outer tire off already, somehow...but the

inner tire was being stubborn, and the jack needed to go up much

further.

We had to be careful for two reason, just behind us was a pretty big

drop off, and everytime a big rig would come rolling by, it would cause

the RV to shift, and wobble on the jack...if it fell, that thing was

going over, crushing him, his wife, and us.

I was standing there holding the RV, as if I was really going to stop it

if it decided to go. Half eyeballing the road, and half watching him

keep trying, I finally couldn't take that any longer, and Josh and I

were able to convience him to please let us finish. You could tell he

was man that had done things his whole life, without the help of

others, even if the need was great....and getting more serious by the

moment.

Finally, we did it, and got the thing changed like a pit crew at

Nascar...dirty, sweating, nervous, and none too soon, as just as we

reached for the jack to let it down, two rigs happened by creating a

huge amount of wind and suction, sending the jack to an early grave, all

twisted nd bent from the fall....on to the now bolted on wheels.

I think the old man and his wife both were letting it dawn on them at

about the same time, as Josh and I wished them well, and headed back to

the car to proceed on our journey. Josh had a look on his face I'll

never forget, as the old woman tapped on the glass and ask for the

window to be rolled down...handing some money, shoving it into

his hands...tears in her eyes, understanding what had just

happened....thank you was all she could get out, and went back to her

husband. Both Josh and I had even forgotten about the money thing, as it

dawned on us too what had just happened. Then Josh said, " what if we

hadn't come along when we did, and stopped " ? I didn't say much, letting

it sink in....and I replied, " but Josh, WE did come along.... " .

We continued our trip, and we experienced many other stories and tales

along the way...our Father and Son cross country trip, 1997.

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