The Road Ahead
Some say that everything happens for a reason, and while I don’t agree with the concept of fate, I do agree that each decision we make has consequences…sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes both. Those consequences often lead us in a new direction. So in that sense, yes, everything does happen for a reason.
The 11 month journey with Fridgemagnet has led me down a path that I could never have foreseen. I’ve torn that carefully constructed wall down and let myself trust and care for someone. Although the relationship started out in deceit, I grew in so many ways from it. I learned that those walls might have protected me from heart break in the past but they also kept me from feeling all the joy that comes from being truly accepted and loved for who you are. Though I’m still standing in the rubble, I don’t feel pressed to rebuild that wall.
The betrayal spurred me to seek out Ben. For those just joining this trip, see blog entries 2-7 to see how Ben Davis came into the picture. As impulsive as I can be, prior to the catfishing experience, even I wouldn’t have dropped everything to walk with a stranger 15 miles down a road a state away. Meeting Ben, sharing our stories, and taking that risk, not only helped me separate him from Fridgemagnet but it also forced me to look deeper into myself and start asking some serious questions.
Having come down from the emotional roller coaster that was Fridgemagnet and the thrill of being on the road with Ben, I spent a fair amount of time reflecting on what comes next. I even toyed around with the idea of taking my daughter on a walk across America and creating a “living classroom" by sharing our experience real time with classrooms around the world.
I was contemplating that when I ran across a few other sites about people who were walking across America. Two stood out to me the most. One was a site called Brett Bramble Walks @brettbramblewalks. Brett is walking east to west in honor of his sister who died from an overdose. His goal is to share her story and bring attention to the drug epidemic sweeping our nation. His story intrigued me because I struggle with an addictive personality and have lost family members to addiction.
The second walker I found was Angela Hatton @unitethejourney. Angela is walking from west to east to raise awareness of veterans suffering with PTSD. Both my brother and I are veterans and while I don’t suffer from PTSD, my brother does. Brett and Angela are incredible examples of people who are not only embarking on a once in a lifetime experience but also reaching out to spread change.
All 4 journeys have connected with me in some way and have been a stepping stone to what comes next. My daughter has firmly rejected the idea of walking across the US but maybe in time she’ll warm up to the idea. She’s only 11 so I think it’s a worthwhile idea to hold onto.
So, what comes next? I honestly don’t know. Regardless of what that looks like, I’ll be thankful for the encounters both big and small with others that led me there.