Oftentimes we learn by doing. As a former educator, I know the value of seeing something, then hearing about it and discussing it, then writing it and reading it, but one of the best teachers is actually experiencing something. So, "Doing it" as Nike often suggests is one of our greatest assets.
If you are like me and many of the folks in this world in this day and age you might have read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Some simple lessons I learned by reading this book are: "Don't Panic" and "Always know where your towel is". Since a Vanagoonie is also a Traveler of the known Universe, (seriously people, the Earth is in the Universe and though we are traveling on it, the Earth is actually Humanity's tiny blue spacecraft) we thought it was important to follow these guidelines. I must admit that we did so blindly for a while, joking about it and considering the many uses of such things as keeping calm and having your towel at the ready. So, all of this leads me to our first episode of "Lessons from the Road".
 |
| Look closely, we over shot the mark. |
About 2 weeks ago I was traveling north out of Florida on I95 on my way back to Virginia when I noticed that my Brake light was on. I instinctively thought to myself, "You idiot, you must have left your emergency brake on" and I reached down with my right hand to lower the lever back to the disengaged position. The brake was not on and the lever was down. I then gently tapped the brake pedal and realized that the system was still working properly. To be safe, I figured maybe the fluid was low and I should take a look. I then calmly made my way to the next exit and drove carefully to a gas station that had a big awning over the pumps and parked the van in the shade. I turned off the ignition and fiddled with the emergency brake handle engaging and then disengaging the brake and the light went out. Problem solved, right? Sure, but I decided to check for leaking wheel cylinders and to check the fluid level in the master cylinder just to be sure that there are no other leaks in the system. After I got back in the vehicle, believing that it was only the emergency brake switch that had gotten hung up somehow, I depressed the clutch, and turned the key. Wilson was unresponsive. I tried again. Still nothing... Then, I hopped back out of the van, went in the backseat, opened the rear cabinet, took out my towel. I laid it on the ground under the right rear wheel and with my phone's flashlight app lighting my way, I crawled under the van and glanced up at the starter. Instantly I recognize that the small wire had somehow broken off of the solenoid. (I had recently began having trouble with an intermittent no start so this wasn't a surprise, though it was completely unrelated.) Again, maintaining my composure, I pulled out my tool box and a few supplies stored in the back. After a few minutes of work I had a new connector on the wire and the wire reconnected to the starter. Then I gave the key another turn and the engine started right up. So, I put my tools and my towel away and made my way inside the gas station to get cleaned up in their bathroom sink. Safely and without losing my patience or my mind, not one, but two situations had become resolved.
 |
| Somewhere in America where Walmart let us park our van. |
Lesson 2-
We made our way south into the places of our country where the humidity can stick to your face like a wet dog. Sweat dripped from our faces at all hours of the day but circumstances being what they were, we had made the decision to sleep in a Walmart parking lot in northeastern Louisiana. We popped the top, set up the bed and turned on the fans before going inside the store to cool off for a little while. We brushed our teeth and made our way back to the van. The humidity persisted into the night and we slept, but not well. With a hand towel that I kept nearby, I occasionally wiped drops of sweat from my brow throughout the night.
Then, in the middle of the night something terrible and ominous happened. My co-pilot had been woken with a bit of a start and in turn shook me awake. It was around 4am.
"There is something in here" she said to me. "Something really big is in here and it was crawling on me."
"What?... What is going on here?" I responded. I was still rather groggy.
"There is a giant bug in here. It was crawling on me and then I saw it crawling on the canvas. Now it is in the roll of paper towels. See it. There. There are these long thin antennae sticking out of the side."
I used the handy flashlight app on my phone once again and I peered around. Both of us were half naked standing in the small space by the kitchen. It reacted to the light and before long it was scurrying across the wall and onto our bed.
"What the fuck!"
Somehow a giant cockroach made its way into our sleeping quarters! It disappeared into our bedding. I moved the sheet and exposed the monster. It ran for its life and I grabbed whatever I had handy... The small towel and swatted at it. It was stunned. Then without a moment to think about it, my right hand with my cell phone in it came crashing down on the beast. It was all over in a flash. We were still in battle mode and our blood was pumping... there was no going back to sleep. We decided it was best to do what any red blooded American would do: Make coffee and hit the road. So, even though we learned the lesson that screened windows are the best windows to open, the real lesson is to always know where your towel is.
 |
| World Naked Bike Ride... Bourbon Street- NOLA |
Lesson 3-
The Vanagoonies feel it is important to not only see the
culture but to be the culture. So, when we were in New Orleans and we heard
that there was a World Naked Bike Ride, well, we just had to be a part of it.
The naked bike ride is designed to make bicycle safety paramount and folks wear
body paint with slogans and others make signs to hang on their bikes. It was
quite fun to strip down in the park and then see Bourbon Street for the first
time riding half naked down the center of it. With folks lining the streets
armed with cameras and silly faces we rode like celebrities down the main
strip. There were some aspects of the ride that were uncomfortable but wearing
very little clothing was at the bottom of the list. The sun was hot and there
were several places where riders were bottle necked and it became difficult to
keep pedaling, but in all it was a very enjoyable experience. We laughed as we
rode and listened to great music. We waved at the passersby and posed for
photos. People shouted and none of the shouts were vulgar or rude. Several
times I heard people shouting "Free the nipple!" referencing the
twitter hashtag and subsequent film of which I know very little.
 |
| Sometimes we find new experiences at the end of a rainbow. |
At the end of the ride we went to the town park and hung out
for a little while chatting with other riders and laughing about our
experience. A large group photo was taken before we all went our separate ways.
The event was capped off with a sweet double rainbow over the group. It really was quite an eye opening experience.
The road is a great teacher, as is life itself. If we pay
attention to the cues we can safely navigate the streets if we are clothed or
not. So, on your next adventure remember to keep your ear to the ground, your
stress levels down and your towel handy.
No comments:
Post a Comment