“I don’t really believe in God, but sometimes God-like shit happens.”  - Derek Burns

At the beginning of October, I returned to Kansas for what was initially supposed to be a 5-day visit, which turned out to be a lazy, comfortable 2 weeks thanks to the flexibility of Southwest Airlines and the hospitality of my rather attractive sugarmama.  I’d spent the two months prior sleeping wherever, living off peanut butter & jelly, ramen noodles with an egg scrambled within, water, and beer – little to no money while trying to “make it” in opulent South Florida.  I board a plane to Kansas…during Fall…where the love of old friends and family abounds…and football’s on…and I’m sleeping in a bed.  To me, Kansas in the Fall is more alluring than South Florida will ever be.  There’s that blinding red tree with the orange one behind and a man is sippin’ on a beer while he waits to check the meat in his smoker and a united, elevated hum fills Sunday living rooms waiting for kickoff.

Being back home, I realized that I hadn’t been gone long and that this little adventure I’m on is far from over.  I was eager to get back to Florida, now rejuvenated to continue looking for work.  But a few days back into wandering the docks, handing out resumes and business cards, trying to impress people with as few words as, “How ya doin’?  Need any help?”,  and then never having the phone ring,  is disheartening.

I muddled over many possibilities for change and it boiled down to two positions:  sell the truck and keep inquiring about work or go back to Kansas, put some money together, and backpack in Southeast Asia as somewhat of a surrogate adventure that money could buy.  Back and forth, back and forth.  The backpacking seemed most logical, since boat work opportunities have been virtually nonexistent thus far.  But, hadn’t I just spent over a year of my life looking forward to being in Florida searching for a sailboat voyage?  Certainly, I can’t give up so easily.

When I have a dilemma, the world goes away and all I have is a ping-pong match in my head where no one wins and no one loses.  Though several people offered invaluable advice, in the end, I was left alone with a decision in which I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.

Ultimately, life is good.  I can always rely on this simple cliche.

Thinking there was a pretty solid chance that I would be returning home, I filled up my tank and decided to drive south and check out Key West while still in the region.  On the way down, I picked up a hitchhiker for the second time in my life.  His name is Mark.  He left St. Augustine, Florida, one day before I initially left Kansas back in August.  Among other dreams he has for his life, Key West would be the place where his goal of being an accomplished musician would come true.  I was honored to be the vehicle for the last leg of his 9-week journey.

Mark had been hoofing it for nearly 500 miles – I was only the third motorist to pick him up.  He had a small backpack and a guitar slung over his shoulder.  He and I realized quickly that we had much in common.  We talked about zeitgeist and chemtrails, our love for music, spirituality and religion, on this, the final two hours of his journey to Key West.  Though he didn’t have a cell phone, I gave Mark my card to stuff in the dirty pocket of his corduroys in the event that he should need anything.

When he talked to me about this long walk, Mark said that there were times when he was hungry and thirsty, obviously.  He capped that off with some simply profound and profoundly simple Stones’ lyrics, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need.”  Things just came together for him when it was necessary.  Meeting him made me realize that, while I did indeed drop many of my possessions, I wasn’t nearly as raw as he.  [unfinished]