WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE COOL?

I picked up a forty-something truck driver in Ravenna this week and gave him a Lyft to Austintown.  That gave us a good opportunity to talk.  I ended up telling him a few stories along the way.

He was pretty amazed that I'd hitch-hiked 10,000 miles between 1969 and 1973.  I talk a little about this in my blogger banner.  Most of these miles were between Rochester, New York (where I went to college) and New Brighton, Pennsylvania (my hometown).  My last two years found me making frequent trips home for weekends to be with Debbie.  I also hitch-hiked between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh several times during summers while I was working on a roofing crew and living with my brother.  My new friend was particularly impressed when I talked about sleeping on the side of the road from time-to-time [in that time period, traffic significantly dropped off after dark].

Then I told him about Deb and me moving to Kentucky in 1973.  I drove the U-Haul truck and she followed in our big, old Buick.  I had discovered that I could save money by returning the truck to Cincinnati, so, I loaded my Honda 90 in the back of the truck and headed back to Ohio.  It was my reasoning that I should return the truck with a near empty tank.  Consequently, I ran out of gas four miles from the dealership!  I had to unload the bike and go for gas to finish the trip to the dealership.  Upon arriving, they promptly filled the gas tank and charged me a premium price for the tank of gas!  😯  Then I still had a 100-mile trip back to our new apartment on a Honda 90.

The last story I shared with him was about leaving Roberts Wesleyan College in June, 1971, and driving that same Honda 90 to Willow Grove, Pennsylvania [nearly 350 miles at a top speed of 50 mph].  It took me several days!  I spent my nights in old YMCA's along the route where I was able to get a room for $5-7/night.  The doors had no locks and I shared the bathroom with older men who also roomed there.  I put a chair up against my door each night!  It was creepy!  But I made it - with a very tired and sore behind!

Anyway, when we arrive at his health club and he was getting out of my car, he stuck his head back inside and said, "Harold, you're a cool guy!  You ought to write a book!"  For the record:  I don't get told that I'm cool very often!  😊