Llano, TX: THANK YOU!!! Days Inn & Suites

Miles since last blog: 33.6
Miles Total: 2389.8

Route

And thank you to the many people who have contacted me about yesterday's blog. Don't worry, I won't let you down, I'll reach the coast one BYAHHH!!! at a time.

Tonight I have been shown very generous hospitality here in Llano, the clerk at the Days Inn got a room donated to me for the night and it doesn't get much better than a really good shower and a nearby laundromat after having no clean clothes for the last week. Being dirty and gross shouldn't slow you down much but it really effects how you feel and as I've said before, it's all mental out here. The only things you need to take care of are your head and your feet ultimately. The feet you get the hang of, the head is a constant battle.

Down to business.

Everything in Texas is bigger, even the variety in responses I get. Whereas in the south I would wave at people and they would always wave and smile back, here that happens about 50% of the time, 25% of the time I get no response at all, and lastly about 25% of people give me a glare. I was stopped by a police officer today again, like I said, I don't really mind this, but I was surprised. It's the first time I have ever been stopped during the day. Things went normally and I could here the woman over the radio say, "it's clean!?!" with complete surprise to my record. I think, for those 25%, the thought process is something like this, but probably not exactly:

I am normal
I am good
normal=good
That isn't normal
That isn't good
It's bad
Bad is probably illegal
If it's not illegal, it's probably immoral

On a more specific level relating to me I think it goes like this:

What the hell is that weirdo doing with a stroller? He must be up to no good.

In fact, I have received emails to this effect that were from before people saw the sign.

With that said, I did say, "everything is bigger in Texas." And that includes the generosity and goodness, today was the single biggest day for donations that I have had on the walk and I am not even in a heavily populated area. The donations today in fact exceeded that of most states entire course.

And never before has an employee, rather than a manager, approved a room being donated. The exceptionally nice man behind the counter here at the hotel gave me a room saying, "I can't get ahold of my manager, you are doing good work, I will give you the room and deal with it later." I hope that his manager doesn't mind or dock his pay, I am continually astounded with the goodness and generosity of strangers.

Once again, thanks to all who wrote me. I'll continue on for you and everyone else that doesn't have the chances I do. I'll continue on for the charity. I'll continue on because it's the right thing to do and because everyday I meet people who are inspired but what I'm doing and who I can remind for a moment that the world is at once very big and very small, and there are good people out there.