Date: Sun, 17 Aug 1997 20:27:34 -0700 From: Charlie Ford Subject: On This Sunday When I left Detroit threee weeks ago and headed for Toronto, I not only entered into a new country, Canada, but I also entered a new phase of the ³journey" within the trip. It seems that when I crossed that border into a new country, I crossed into a new chapter of travel and attitude, that would unfold itself in the by and by. Maybe it was because now i was truly back in the East. The west states had brought me much good fortune, and a feeling of having more room. I eased toward Toronto trying to subconciously unravel the mysterious feeling, mind you not a specific problem, but an uneasiness toward what the future might be bringing. I arrived at list member Ron Mightons home late in the evening. We had a very nice visit, some good beer and conversation, and enjoyed the view of Lake Ontario from Ron's patio. Over the next few days Ron and I would have many good conversations about things that only folks that ³think² talk about. We spoke about coyotes, raccoons, peace, creating change, carpentry, non-profit program operations, landscaping, Volkswagens, and a hundred other subjects that are most important to making our lives go around. Yes even a little bit of "love" found itself being scrutinized by our great minds, or once ³greater² anyway, at least in one of us. Each night I would vacate myself to my bus and tumble with my thoughts. Questions mostly, a re-kindling of some of the same questions I was pressured with in the beginning, when I started planning for the search. That was roughly a year ago about now. Yep, last August I was barely beginning the planning stage of this trip. I would awaken the next morning to the sounds of Lake Ontario, gulls crying, and occasional motor boat speeding by. Immediately, I would begin to fight back the boredom by doing many things. The most labor intensive being the construction a split rail fence that had been torn down by a large truck coming up Ron¹s street. It was something to do, yet still, with all of the occupation, reading, and busy-work, I was still well aware of the ³heaviness² that was walking around with me and waiting to pounce on me, at the damndest times, I might add. I started looking for an ³island of stability² in order dry dock for a while. thus the post, ³A Humble Request². I started this trip for a reason. The main reason was to finish it and going broke would not lend to success in that area. Basically, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grow up. I think many search for that very thing in themselves too, only not too many of us want to admit it. I have nothing to lose by admitting it, so there ya go! I had many folks from the list answer that ^ÌRequest¹. The generosity offered me was incredible. Some I could not believe. This list truly is ³my community². I am very glad to still have one to call mine, after 14,600 miles of traveling around America in ³Search for the beginning of wind². I thank each of you, and if I ever have the chance I will thank you personally. Ted Finesman from Cincinatti, who I had met the week before in Milan, answered my post rapidly with an invitation to come and camp in his backyard. All I really needed was a place to cool out and once again makes some preparation to continue. I accepted. This is the season for startup in the AmeriCorps projects around the country, so I have some contracts to perform over the next few weeks. That is the really fine thing about being a consutant and traveling with a computer. Every training job I have gotten so far has come via invitation by E mail. I left Ron¹s four days after arriving there and headed southwest from Toronto through Buffalo, then Cleveland, then Columbus. I drove down Interstate 71 so that I could make good time although I did sort of take my time getting there. I alotted myself two days so that I could stop and see Niagra Falls. The Honeymoon Capital. Niagra was nice. I rode my bike around town for a while and watched all the parents chase their children around trying to get them to mind. What a hoot! Was I that bad when I was a kid? I don't think so! My butt would have been mush after acting out only a couple times, my Ma didn¹t fool around at all. I left there and drove on toward my destination. There was Flying J truckstop in Columbus that I would feel comfortable in, and I could make it there with no problem. From Toronto to Cincinatti is 500 miles, not much of a distance compared to 14,000. I kinda felt like the trip would be good for me. I arrived at the truckstop, got a meal and settled for the evening. I left myself only about 125 miles for the next morning. Close enough for comfort, far enough so that I would be well awake by the time I pulled into town to find Ted¹s place. I slept good at the Flying J. I even figured out that you can hook up to the net at a truckstop if you have a laptop and an 800 internet account. All you do is go back into the area that is designated for truckers. There is a line of telphones in resteraunt style booths along the wall. Remove the handset line from the handset, leave it hooked in the base, then plug the line into your modem and connect. Because it is an 800 number, the only number the phone line at Flying J¹s will accept, the line will let you maintain connection as long as needed. Another thing about truckstop camping. Always park in the lot where the truckers park. These guys love VW busses, especially when they are parked, sitting still, and not in front of them when they are trying to make some time, which is money to them. When you pull in park in an out of the way place. You will be safe because, there is no thief in the world going to want to get a bunch of truckers on his butt with tire irons. As one put it, we hate a theif more than we hate a murderer. I arrived at Ted¹s the next morning. I called him from a convenience store, and he came and collected me. Since then we have spent much time together. We have experienced breakdowns, fix ups, gardening, and VW shows. We attended Milan together, We attended Columbus last week, and this week we were at the Cincinatti show where I recieved some experience by serving as ³goody bag stuffer² and ³judge². Of the two I prefer stuffing ³goody bags². At the Columbus show, two weeks ago, I got to meet several list members. So far, in the past two weeks, I have had the privelege to meet, Tony Moore and his lovely wife Melanie, who together bring a sense of easy peace to everyone around them, oh, and I must say that "Melanie has a sheen about her" hahahaha!. Others include: Mike Mott, Bob O'Shaunessy, Josh ????, Len ????, Mark Janello, Brett ????, and Eric O¹Brien. So many others, but I swear it gets hard to remember all the names. I also had the esteemed privelege to have met the famous Bill Bowman, the President of NEATO and organizer Busses by the Arch. Bill is a great guy, but it's funny, he runs out of beer first then offers you one. : ) I still haven't figured out why anyone could be so vice versa. hehehe Everyone knows about Busses by the Arch. I have always wanted to attend this event, so since I am so near, I am. May as well make this unexpected detour a worthy one, not that it hasn¹t been already, Ted and his wife Ann, are great people to hang out with. And Ann can cook like Van Gough could paint. I haven¹t been able to see a lot of Cincinatti, at least not enough to be able to say where I am, but that is fine. You see one urban jungle, you¹ve seen most of them. Hot muggy and usually to busy for my blood these days. It¹s like everyone in the city runs their lives in 2nd and 3rd gear, while the rest of us cruise along in 4th. Yesterday was hot and humid. And I was a judge at the Cincinatti VW Meet, which deserves a post all its own so look for it as time goes by. The Cincinatti VW Club has the potential of becoming a good club, but damn there are some heavy politics at work. The show car group against the basic daily driver group. Same ole story about money, power, and purity. I have been here two weeks. Life is good, I am supposed to get some money this week, and it is coming just in time. I am down to almost nothing. God once again answers. I have an AmeriCorps job in Kentucky the week after BBTA, so more is on the way. The Denver job will happen the end of September and should provide enough to get me over the top........of Nova Scotia that is. It will be nice to be a little more financially secure again. Sunday is a good day for contemplation. Sunday is the one day in the week when we are more quiet than loud, more slow than fast, more easy than hard. This day deserves some recognition, and thanks. It deserves a look at the spiritual side of life. It deserves a picnic or gathering. It deserves the reverence of easy. One thing I have learned since beginning this journey is that, God has three answers to every question, yes, no, and wait. The questions still aren't answered and the "Search" continues even though I am sitting still. Thanks for tolerating my rambling¹s. Charlie Ford "79" Transporter, dressed for the road The Mothership The"Turning 40 Nostalgic VW Service Tour, and Search for the Beginning of Wind". http://www.armory.com/~y21cvb/charlie/charlie.html "Wider still and wider.....shall thy bounds be set"