Texas Sunrise

Dear Anthony,

Flying my girlfriend out to Texas was one of the best decisions that I could have made.

It was a great opportunity to see how my travels would be different if I had someone special traveling with me.

The difference was noticeable on the very first day when I rented a Red Ford Mustang convertible to pick her up at the airport. (Something that I would rarely do for myself)

But the first impression can set the tone for the whole trip so it had to be good... Cruis'n with the top down and the sun shinin' ... we headed out to the island for a little R&R.

But these trips are not only about rest and relaxation... on our way out to the island... we ran into a man that I had met the night before at John Harley's Country Store and Bar. He was in the parking lot of this gas station. His truck broken down.

Riders on the storm.... I know what its like to be down and out. I also know what it feel like when someone comes along and lends a helping hand. Its a gift for both of us.

Stef and I spent the next week helping this man get mobile again. In return, he made us laugh... a lot. After the week was over, we had a friend for life. He was driving around in his new (used) van.... he found a new job after losing his old one for not having transportation... and we set him up with our friend George who needed help distributing his magazine around the valley.

Not only that, Jim was able to reach back and help his friend Leroy who had been sleeping on the beach for the past nine months. They were both working and productive again.

But that's how these people are in the Friendship state of Texas.. they really help each other out.

It went both ways though.... Jim is an older man who has lived a very interesting life. He has the wisdom of a man who has been a lot of places and has seen a lot of things. And even though his wisdom has come from making a lot of mistakes in his life ... he still manages to keep a positive outlook.

We would sit out at his dome, a huge egg-shaped structure, in the country for hours sharing stories of our experiences, people that we've met and all the things that we learned along the way. Of course, we shared some of the hard lessons and heartbreaks, but mostly we laughed, talked about our families and our dreams.

One of his favorite stories to tell was when he asked his father how he managed to stay married to his mother for so long... and his father told him .. "Son, no matter how broke I may have been... I always managed to take your momma out to dinner at least once a week". So he asked his dad... ."Is that the secret for staying married for so long?" And his dad looked at him and said, "Well, that's one of them."

I'll send a picture of Jim as soon as I can get them developed. He's one of the coolest people that I have ever met.

I don't know about you, but I'm really curious to see where this story goes. We should have some pictures developed tomorrow.

Warmth and good vibes,

Jason