So I packed up and headed to the McDonald's to get a little charge before heading out. I ordered a yogurt parfait there while my things charged. Then I took off.
I got onto the road at around 9:15. I walked about a half mile when a truck pulled into a dirt parking lot where there were some other cars parked. A guy and girl got out and walked towards me. I took out my headphones and the guy handed me $20. Then his girlfriend asked me to come into church with them. I said I needed to walk a ways. And then she said "aww come on! It will be so cool!" an then I thought, I'm not on any time schedule and since they wanted me to go, I said sure!
So we walked in, I was pretty uncomfortable in my nasty sweaty clothes and duct taped shoes. But they said not to worry and nobody will judge. So I left my cart in the back with a camera man. It was a huge church! I was still feeling like I havn't gone enough distance in the last few days, and wanted to move. But it was ok.
I sat with them for the service. It was a good message. There were a few times where I still had questions in my mind about the topics. But I still felt a good energy, and I said some very sincere prayers.
After the service I took some pictures with them, and then said goodbye. I walked out feeling better than when I went in, so I was thankful.
I walked through west Monroe. It was a pretty decent part of the town. I pulled off just at the end of town as I was hungry. I stopped at a Mexican restaurant and got a drink and ate some free chips and salsa. I sat there for a couple hours to stay out of the heat.
I left there around 4. I left town and walked down a stretch of the highway where there were just houses here and there. As I walked I noticed my cart was leaning. I stopped and looked down and saw that a plastic piece on the leg had busted. And the cage part had slid down on one side. I looked at it and realized I needed something small like chicken wire to rig it up. I didn't have anything to use so I just hoped I would run across a hardware store or something soon. So I kept on and hoped it didn't break from the weight.
About a mile up I was scanning the ground along the shoulder of the highway for maybe a small screw or something. And then I spotted something!!! It was a piece of steel rod! I picked it up and it was perfect! It was about a foot long.
I stopped at the next church I crossed about a half mile up. I sat in front of the doors under an overhang and emptied my cart out. Then I bent the rod back and forth til it broke in half. I used the leather man the cop in Mississippi gave me and bent the wire so it would go into a hole where the plastic broke off. So I twisted a blade through the plastic piece (that slipped over the leg) big enough for the rod to fit into. The rod went through the plastic piece and into the hole, which held the plastic piece up to hold the cage up. Then the rod bent 90 degrees to run down the leg. Then I duct taped the rod really good around the leg. I ended up breaking the other legs plastic piece to do the same with the other half of the rod. When I was done it was stronger than the way it was originally made. I was proud of my hobo modification.
Just as I was finishing, a truck pulled up. It ended up being the pastor of the church who was meeting someone there for paperwork. He saw me and said, "hey you were on tv!" I told him I was just fixing my cart. He said he thought it was awesome that I was homeless and still giving the little of what I have to homeless people I pass. He insisted I stay there for the night! That was awesome! I was planning on getting a few more miles at least, but since I had permission, I figured I would stay. I would sleep much better not having to worry about hiding and being kicked out.
So he left and said good luck! A little while later another truck pulled up. It was the maintenance guy for the church. He heard I was there and so he came to hangout and talk to me. He was a really nice guy and had a good understanding of what I'm going through. He knew some people who wander around and live like I'm currently living. He was rad. We had a cool conversation for like an hour. Then he took off. I made my bed on the concrete right next to an outlet. I relaxed til about 11 and I fell asleep.
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