I Thought Size Doesn’t Matter

July 16, 2023

DAY TWENTYONE

Strangely, it never really got dark last night, and yet it was almost the new moon. The clouds hung low with an eerie smoky white glow that made no sense well into morning. It was another successful night stealth camping in the woods underneath a bridge. I saw a man and woman before first light, strangers. They walked by as I was packing up the tent. She carried some type of puffy pillow or something and he held her to him closely. They both seemed surprised that I would declare this a good morning.

At the truck stop gas station for a coffee, yogurt, banana and apple - $8.50. Inflation. At least it’s still free to use the restroom mostly.

I was sitting just outside on a bench eating my yogurt when a lady came out and was surprised by me. She had an unlit cigarette dangling from the puckered lips of a toothless mouth. Her shirt advertised another truck stop from another past and another place. She took a bench as far away from me as possible. Occasionally, I would see her waving her hand in front of her face and talking sternly to someone beyond sight. The ghost of her troubles whispering calls to action that would bring her to her feet before she would sit back down and deny herself whatever prompted any purpose. There are some seriously haggard people in this world at truckstops, unfortunately, most of them I see are women. I’ve never had any trouble on these lots but it must be a hard life for many. The wheels always spinning, the compass always turning.

I’m riding east towards what appears to be the edge of the world. A flaming dragon rises in the sky above me, the oranges and reds illuminating my departure for all the waking world to witness. Tolling bells at the church declare my departure from the parish in ceremonial order. The road continues beneath me and I ride.

There’s very little in between me and Casey, Illinois. I find another covered bridge and send a picture to Karl. He replies with a smiley face. I pick up a tailwind and blow through my ride, making Casey way ahead of schedule.

There’s a campground right in town that is cheap with showers and bathrooms. I shower first and change clothes before riding into the center of town and a laundromat. I’m ready to wash some clothes and bedding. Stinky.

Casey appears to be a regular big city. It’s got everything from traffic to planes in the air. The locals explain that the idea and implementation for all the world’s largest stuff was one family. The Bolin son and his wife were on a vacation when they got the idea for the world’s largest wind chime and it was the first of many creations. Supposedly they paid for everything including ongoing maintenance. That shit is working because there were families of tourists milling around everywhere and spending money. I had a low point in my quest for tacos but went to bed fat, clean and happy.

I did have one other encounter with perhaps the underbelly of a transient life. A shirtless and sweaty man on a mountain bike came cruising up to the shelter I was sitting in charging my phone. Mounted to the front of his handlebars was a full wire basket, a milk crate on the back held more random items and none of it was exactly gear for traveling or more clothes. He asked for a cigarette and told me he had just rode in from Terre Haute. I said wow that’s over 40 miles from here. He said that was nothing as he had started in Indianapolis. I told him I didn’t smoke, sorry. He told me he had recently been released from prison, his eyes flicking away quickly to avoid any visual reaction from me, and that he was trying to do the right thing and he just really needed a smoke. I told him to be a good man and it’ll become its own thing in time. He was polite but edgy and said he’d go ask some people fishing nearby. As he rode away I saw the machete style knife slid between the back crate and the frame of his bike. Good luck out there buddy. The world doesn’t make room for people like you, only cages.

Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 846 miles (1,362 km)

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