Well Trevor and I have had some great experiences already. Before we left Sacramento, Kevin took us to the bowling alley to watch Ryan, his son, bowl. And that was quite a culture shock. We were warned before we went that it was a bowling alley that mostly colored people bowled at but we did not fully grasp that until we walked in. Within five minutes Trevor whispered to me, “I’ve never felt like more of a minority.” Besides the three of us, I think there were maybe four other white people. It’s a totally different environment. It was an awesome experience. They were all really welcoming and definitely had a different kind of competitive edge. As we left we were told we had to come back and visit again. Something I positively want to do in the future. Anyways, the Greyhound has worked out really great so far although I do miss the environment of hitchhiking. We don’t meet people as easily and it’s just not the same type of interaction you get while your just out on the road. Anyways, our first ride was quite an experience. I swear everyone on that bus was tweaking. As we pulled into LA one guy yelled, “IT’S THE COPS!!” Everyone just turned and stared… there were no cops. But experiences like that just make memories and stories. After riding the Greyhound for nearly eighteen hours we arrived in the little town of Casa Grande. My Aunt Marilyn lives there and sure enough, as we pulled into the bus stop, her and Andy were there waiting for us. Andy is her dog, a shitzu, and boy was he a character.
We stayed with Marilyn for the last couple days and it was a lot of fun. She made us spaghetti the night we arrived. Her and Marie Calendar baked us some apple pie for dessert. J The next day we visited the Casa Grande Ruins. It’s a national monument of an ancient civilization that lived in Arizona during 1600 BC. Trevor and I both found it really interesting. We learned about the way they lived and got to explore the area and buildings they lived in. It was REALLY cool. That night for dinner Trevor and I made Marilyn stir fry and peanut butter cookies. Not to brag or anything… but it turned out awesome. We’re now on our way to Waco, Texas. I’m actually writing this on the Greyhound. We boarded at ten o’ clock this morning and won’t be arriving in Waco until a little after eleven TOMORROW MORNING!! It’s one looooong bus ride, but it will be well worth it. We’re headed to a community called Hope Fellowship. It is one of the Shalom communities, a sister community of Church of the Sojourners. And that’s about it for now.
When I rode the Greyhound (back in the early 1970’s) I always met a lot of people, but then I was by myself and someone would sit in the seat next to me (although I learned a trick on how to get people not to sit by me, selfish kid that I was). If you want to meet people on the bus, just ask them a question. Your advantage is that you are young and people normally won’t be afraid of you. When I was in my early and mid twenties I looked a lot younger than I was and I could get away with a lot, or get help with stuff, without too much trouble. I wasn’t too old to talk to younger kids, and old people often love to talk, especially older ladies. And people on the bus are more down to earth (literally) than people on a plane. Just be friendly and act innocent.
Peace,
Dennis
EVen though I am really shy and reserved, I do talk to people next to me, in the airport or on the plane. I am usually the first one to talk. At the airport in Spokane, I asked a woman I didn’t know to watch my luggage for me while I used the rest room. She agreed and when I came back I had a nice conversation with her. She was from southern Illinois and was out west visiting family. Her husband had died of cancer a few months before. I let her talk and also asked her about where she lived and learned a lot about her life.