Tales from the Trail #27: The zealous abundance of Zionsville …
And so it was that onward I walked – out of Indianapolis proper and some 5 miles further into the burgeoning nightfall – stroll-limping my way along Highway 421, all the way into and through the sudden oasis of obscene wealth that is Zionsville, Indiana. I mean, here I was seemingly once again “in the middle of nowhere” and yet all the houses on both sides of the road were literally mansions. And I guess that much money tends to attract &/or manifest “the best” in everything, as was soon attested by the shiniest gas station I had ever seen glowing brightly from afar; a BP gas station, as it turned out, that literally shone on the horizon like a freshly christened spaceship as I approached. And a very happy attendant (who was literally named Happy) was on hand there at the time, and he easily and happily offered me a free coffee without hesitation when he learned about what I was doing. He then complimented my efforts, asked to take a selfie with me (see the attached image below), and finally encouraged me to walk onward well and to stay in touch with him while I did …
Understandably on a small-but-potent high after such a wonderful encounter, I stroll-limped on to the uber-chic roadside shopping mall next-door – a small center that housed an upper-end coffee shop, a natty laundry service, a dentist, a large pet supply store, and Verde, which turned out to be one of the coolest restaurant/bar I have ever visited in my life; and this – again – was all truly smack dab “in the middle of nowhere” …
Jaden was the young host manning the door to this latter establishment, and I fully expected to be sent away like the “homeless bum” I indeed appeared to be. And yet instead of receiving such a frigid shoulder, I was welcomed by Jaden with a truly warm heart – as he cordially invited me in, took me to the place’s cool-vibed back porch, and then told me I could stay as long as I liked – and that I could even lie down on the sofa there if I was tired and needed to sleep! He then thereafter topped of his grand hospitality by arranging for me to be brought a huge plate of real corn chips & fantastic salsa and left me there to revel in the same while enjoying the awesome music that was being provided by the establishment’s live DJ.
I ended up staying for only 30 minutes or so before heading back out onto The Road, and yet I couldn’t help but look around for the hidden cameras that were somehow certainly filing me getting “pranked” in this way. How amazing it was that I could be suffering so much hardship in the middle of a “wilderness”, only to fall into a sudden oasis of wealth and be treated with such kindness and showered with such opulent grace therein!
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