Opposable Thumb

The dollar figure changes every time I tell the story. Sitting here typing, I honestly can't remember. It seems to me it was $6.00. Why not. It was under $10.00 for sure. So, say $6.00, several packets of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. A brown potato. My backpack, with sleeping bag etc. I was right outside New York City and that is all I had.

On foot.

I dared not go into the city, I was fearful that I would get stuck there with no way out. My companion was going into the city to catch his flight home to Europe. He said his Dad would wire him some money, but I was not sure of that and I did not really want to blow his money.

I wanted to go home.

New York City to Phoenix on $6.00 (less then $10.00, even if my memory has failed). A potato and some onion soup mix.

Raw peeled potato dipped in Onion Soup mix is not bad. You will have to trust me on that one.

Not that I was completely on my own. In Delaware Ohio, a Catholic family with about 8 kids put me up for the night, fed me. In Evansville Indiana a Salesman dude dropped me off at my Aunt's house. She fed me, washed all my clothes. My cousin drove me to Grandma's house for a huge meal.

In Texas, some perv put me up in a Hotel for the night. I had to bail on that one when he decided to get too friendly at night.  The traveler was travelling, not trolling.

The rest of the time, I was on my own. Thumbing back to Phoenix.

I was crazy. It was crazy to have done that. It was a different time. I was a different person.

Who thumbs now? I do not know. I do not pick them up. Who picked me up? Strangers I did not know, do not know. Ships passing in the night. What is the power of the thumb? What is the draw of the thumb? Who stops because of the thumb? Well, we know why the perv did. The Salesman in Indiana was just a good guy, no motive but to be of service and not be so lonely on his long drive. The father in Ohio may of saw something of his kids in me, traipses of my lapsed Catholicity...a kid from a large family like his. I don't know though, I could only guess.

My thumb was out a lot back then. Phoenix to Anchorage, 3664 miles. Anchorage to New York City? 4431 miles. New York to Phoenix?  2412. Then the trip to California, Utah, Colorado and back?  2500. Then all those times I hitchhiked to Phoenix College when I did not own a car. And all the other times. My thumb was a busy beggar.

 Powerful magic, that thumb. I think it was the right one. When I stick it out now, right one feels right.

Not trying to brag or build myself up here. It was my thumb, not me. Me just trying to look just needy enough, just honest enough, just safe enough, just young enough, just interesting enough that the thumb sparked something in someone. Sparked them to stop, offer a lift.

 Just thinking about all the people that had to have stopped for me back then, boggling. But to put it in perspective, all the people who passed me by...would be 10's of thousands. 100's of thousands maybe.   Zooming on by, maybe some of those with a thought, maybe most with no thought at all to the nerdy post-teen going who knows where or how far. And why should they?

What if one of you saw me, out there with my thumb. Would you have stopped. What about my wife? I don't think she would stop. She is not that type.  Frankly and truthfully, I am not the type who stops.

The type who stop.

Thanks for stopping, those that did. Thanks for seeing something that made you stop. To those that almost stopped, hesitated just a second, thanks too. It was kind of you to at least think of me. For those that did not even hesitate, thanks too. If you had stopped, time and place would have bent and nothing would have ever been the same. So honestly and from my heart, thanks. To the salesman...you are a man of great kindness and worth, thank you. To the father in Ohio...you should be very proud of your family, it is a great family.  To the perv, I hope it fell off.


Cheers...nca