Tales from the Trail #18: Thriving once again in Thrive …
It was still quite difficult walking on this day, without question, and yet I had somehow made it the 10+ miles through the preceding night along Highway 31 to the town of Scottsburg by the following morning. And I found myself limping towards a local gas station there on the outskirts of the same, when I looked over and saw a man (Tim) beckoning me over to his car. At first I assumed that he could simply tell that I wasn’t doing so well (I mean, who couldn’t by that point, right?) and that he wanted to help out a struggling pilgrim in obvious need. And yet it turned out that he had simply mistaken me for one of the homeless charges with whom (& for whom) he happened to volunteer each week. And yet no sooner did he recognize his mistake than I was able to relay an abbreviated version of my Walk’s tale, and no sooner did Tim hear the same than he graciously offered me a short ride (some 5 miles) to the town of Austin, where some friends he knew there might well be able to help me out …
And so it was that Tim did indeed drive me the 5+ miles to the town of Austin, and so it was that he did indeed introduce me to the lovely folks (employees & volunteers alike) at a company called Thrive – a company that specializes in helping those in need (especially those recovering from or who might be actively suffering from substance abuse issues). And so it was that the manager of said establishment, Kelly, welcomed me inside without hesitation, gave me something to eat, and essentially let me sleep there on their waiting room sofa for most of the day, while she tried to find me a ride further north. And while that ride never did pan out or manifest, the rest and the sustenance and the kindness that were offered me that day made all the difference in the world, and I was far better able to walk on into that evening thereafter as a result.
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