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Interspersed among the photos are a few journal entries from these days. I remind you that each is a snapshot of this trip, something from that particular day, and not necessarily a unchanging perception, feeling, or thought. Enjoy!
Two Mushrooms, Sabine County, Day 54
Day 55: (not a journal entry) On this day I stumbled upon an original survey marker, placed in 1841, separating the newly formed Republic of Texas and the United States of America. It was placed at the south end of Hwy 31 where it runs into Louisiana and, a few miles later, Logansport. I have not added a picture or much text because I've submitted an article and photo to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Out of respect of my agreement with them, I'll hold off using some of my extraneous materials. But let me tell you this: it was a little vertical block of granite, nothing too special, but the initials R.T. were something incredibly powerful to behold.
Logger for Hire, Sabine County, Day 57Day 57: It was a real pleasure chatting with David [the biker from Irving] today. I'm relieved I'm not so alone in this endeavor. We spoke on a wide variety of subjects, but the common theme was "Why aren't more people out enjoying this world?"
Cloud Makers (near Martin Creek Lake State Recreation Area), Rusk County, Day 65
(A short Day 67 pre-thought here: I tweeted about a woman who had given her son free reign to shoot me if I did anything "funny." The scene of this tweet happened like this: I stopped on a hill near the road across the street from this woman's five-acre plot and home. I made myself comfortable, drinking water, reading, etc. I see the family members talking on the porch of the house, and eventually the woman comes out to talk with me. Aside from the initial distrust, she was quite nice. She told me how her family had been the victims of a lot of theft, that the neighborhood had gone to pot, that times were really tough. She said that it was "a black area." I left more nervous than I had arrived, but it wasn't from the gun.)
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Day 67: As bad as people say these places are, I have not encountered a negative element yet. There is [racial] tension, but I feel outside of it. And I've seen many exceptions too. Hard to know what to think. I've found people using "black" like it's a bad thing. "Oh, that's a black area" or "That's a black neighborhood." They confuse things known to increase crime (drugs, unemployment) with skin color. For this period of time, they may be right, but should things ever shift the blight on the word "black" will be difficult to recover from.
No Parking, Marion County, Day 68
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Day 68: These convenience store ladies have seen it all. Truckers, druggies, locals, drunks, cowboys, farmers, rich and poor. Throw me in with my crazy project, and they believe me, no problem. They pepper me with questions and get a kick out of it - for a minute or two. You can pick up a lot from these ladies and from the customers they serve. One guy today took his money out of his sock. He was a huge man, no need at a glance to hide anything, but I'm just passing through. Two ladies at this last place spoke freely of getting robbed by residents and harassed by the police. They wouldn't elaborate on their grievances with the police except for one work-related complaint (couldn't get time off). I wanted to photograph them but was scared to do so. I've adopted their philosophy: Don't put any more stock in your surroundings than you have to. So I don't.
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Trucker Mailbox, Marion County, Day 68
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Day 69: Money is the great normalizer. If I spend a little, usually this breaks the ice and allows people to open up, ask questions, whatever they want. The BBQ restaurant staff [in Atlanta] were so friendly and talkative. The manager (at least I think she was the manager) appreciated the dedication I've applied to the project. "I hope you find what you're looking for," she told me. The other worker admitted she got pregnant in her teens and had been putting off going to school. "After seeing you, I guess I don't have a good reason not to try," she said.
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(Day 70 pre-thought: This was an unusually positive day. My interview with Michelle Williams was wonderful. Then I met a Pakistani couple running a convenience store who were quite nice. Then some workers at the next convenience store were all smiles and questions. Then I made it to Texarkana and Michael Boyd and another interview that Michael had set up. All that fed into my short entry below.)
Day 70: I feel an emotional momentum.
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Hay Bales, Red River County, Day 76
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(Day 76 pre-thought: I was hiking along and saw a car pull up a half block ahead of me and stop. "Oh, boy," I thought. A woman stepped out. As I got closer, I could see she was older with hair as white as the clouds. She was holding something in her hands, hidden by a paper towel. I said 'hi,' and she asked, "Are you hungry?" That's how I met this charming, smiling woman named Neva.)
Day 76: I can't tell you how nice it was to be met on the road by Neva [of Malta]. True, she thought I was a needy, homeless person (guess she was half right). The random kindness she did for me, giving me cornbread, filled me with happiness and love. The bread was good, too; warm, delicious, crumbly, filling, and a little sweet.
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Day 78: Honestly, what am I doing out here? The great adventure is getting easier everyday. Hike, eat, sleep. Even the indignities are easier to take now. Is this about faith? So many people have spoken to me about God that I have ceased being surprised, but I have yet to make any real revelations. What am I doing out here?
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Self-Portrait, Red River County, Day 80
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Top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas, Lamar County, Day 82
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Impact Area, Lamar County, Day 83
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Pyles Cemetery Angel, Lamar County, Day 83
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(Day 84 pre-story: I walked into Direct, Texas and a few drivers pulled over to chat with me, having seen the Paris News interview. I made it to a little restaurant, and a customer said to me, "Hey! You're not making very good time, are you?!" The all-around cheerfulness was contagious, and I tweeted about it. Then I later heard German (Direct has a big Mennonite community) being spoken, and I tweeted about that. +++ In a different part of town, a woman settled down with the paper from the day before. She read about the interview, then got online for more information. She found my recent tweets and thought, "He's down the street at the restaurant!" She got out the phone book, called the place, and got ahold of me! Her home was on the way out of town, so I stopped by.)
Day 84: What a pleasant encounter! I spoke with Liza and her boys for about two hours (mainly Liza; the boys were busy playing in the mud). She tried to give me new shoes! She did manage to slip me about two pounds of food (tortilla burgers, trail mix, tortillas!). We talked about all kinds of stuff, but once again without effort, God came into the conversation. We also talked about their family, how she and her husband Norm had come to Texas. We talked while watching the kids play, and it was a nice way to spend an afternoon.
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What an unpleasant encounter! A truck pulled up to my camping spot, and I figure the jig is up. I start by saying 'hello?' Nothing. I wait figuring the windows are up. I hear the door open and start up again. "My name is Matt Read. I was just in the Paris newspaper. I met a lot of nice people in Direct." Not a peep, nada. I start to think it's more sinister, but what could I do? I kept talking. Finally, a voice in the dark replied, "Oh, you're talking to me?" Uh, yeah. Turns out he was just hunting first for game sign, then for the game. I watched his flashlight bounce around across the road and down the way. +++ Another truck pulled up! Guy got out, burped loudly. I wasn't in my sleeping bag yet, and it was getting cold. I considered speaking again but didn't. Instead, I tried to get in my bag as quietly as possible. Just as soon as I did, the second fellow jumped in his truck and took off. Guess I scared him!
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Texas Tree Trimming, Fannin County, Day 85
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Day 85: I'm such a fool sometimes. I slept with an insufficient tarp covering to ward off the rain (even though I saw clouds), and my stuff got wet. I call what I did "Lazy Man's Tarp" which means you lie down on one side of the tarp and if it rains you roll up like a burrito. Argh. This time, it was just dumb. I decided to hike double (or try to), so I could get picked up by my aunt and uncle a day earlier. So in addition to a bad night of sleep, I punished my body a second time! My toe hurt a bit, and I felt tenderness in a tendon in my left foot and leg and both big toes. When am I going to learn? Still, I'm in a bed now, and as long as that's the end result, it's going to be really hard to change.. . .
After spending a nice few days with my aunt, uncle, and grandma, my brother and I drove down to Corpus Christi where we met our parents, another brother, our sister-in-law, and niece. I'll celebrate Thanksgiving here, let my toe recover, and figure out what my next step is at the end of this break.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Until next time, turkey-eaters...
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