I got up at about 5:00 a.m. to get ready to continue my walk through Champaign. I was excited because several friends said they were planning to walk a ways with me. I checked my e-mail and found that I had several unanswered messages. One was from my elder sister Delight, who always has good ideas. She’s married to Dave, a Vietnam era veteran.
Here’s what she wrote: “Thanks for your e-mail including the info about your walk. Otherwise we wouldn't have known about it. We have a suggestion that might make things a bit easier on you. Instead of pushing your bike while you walk, you could just push your pickup truck. Then you wouldn't have to go back to retrieve it!”
Given today’s gas prices, that’s probably a good idea. I could change my slogan to something like “push for better benefits for veterans.” I would inspire more pity (if that’s possible), raise more money, and certainly raise more awareness. I’d get more attention, but I’d probably need medical attention.
Channel 3 news (WCIA) carried my story, both on the morning and evening news, but I still haven’t gotten the attention of our local newspaper, the News Gazette. I’ve made the front page of nearly a dozen newspapers across the state. I’ve even seen my story carried in newspapers in my home area, Northwestern Illinois, as far north as Lena, in JoDaviess County. Ah, well, “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country and among those of his own household.”
Bryce, the technician from WGEM Radio’s Morning Show, in Quincy, Illinois, calls to get me on the morning talk show at least once a week. He has asked me to be on both Monday morning (about 7:20, in case you’re up and in Quincy) and Thursday morning (the last day of the walk). He was also kind enough to e-mail some news outlets in the Danville area, telling them I’d be coming through there, and asking them to keep an eye out for me. Now that is real support, and I appreciate it.
I got to downtown Champaign at about 7:30 and started looking for a free parking place. I didn’t want the town where I live to be the only one that charged me to park my pickup in 250 miles. There just aren’t many free parking places in downtown Champaign. When I inspected a meter, there was no notice that Saturdays were free. When I considered paying, I saw the note that said “Maximum parking, 2 hours.” I wasn’t sure that would be sufficient. I ended up parking on a residential street (E. Church St.), just east of the Champaign Police Department, in one of the few free parking areas anywhere near my designated start point for the day.
I had announced to my friends (and to only a few enemies) that I would start walking east on University Avenue on the north side (on the sidewalk, of course), at 8:00 a.m. With few exceptions, I’ve been walking by that time almost every morning of the trip. At 8:00 no one was there, though some people had stopped to ask what I was doing, and a motorist went around the block, parked his car, and came up to thank me for what I was doing and to give me a donation. I tried to turn it down, but he insisted.
A gentleman than passed me on the sidewalk with the greeting, “God bless you, Sir.” Then he did a double-take and said, “Hey, I saw you on TV last night.” That was footage Marissa Torres’s videographer had taken on Thursday near the Panera’s at Kirby and Prospect.
After no one showed up, I headed east on University Avenue. I got some friendly waves, but most people studiously ignored me. After I had walked nearly to Cunningham Avenue, I went back a ways and then went down Race Street (south) so I could walk through the old downtown part of Urbana on Main Street. Though I saw a few people out, that part of town was peopled mainly by folks getting ready for the Folk Festival that starts today.
I went over to Lincoln Square. At that point I started getting calls from friends who were driving around town looking for me so they could walk with me. I guess they all went back home. Hey, I walked as slowly as an old man can. Sorry. This would have been my first day with company on the road.
I rode back to get my pickup. In every town before Champaign, I walked right through town, getting lots of honks and waves and thumbs up signs. In Champaign, the only honks I heard were from motorists urging their sleepier counterparts (usually someone just ahead at a light that had turned green) to carpe diem (seize the day) and drive on through while the light was green. (There seemed to be an awfully lot of that delayed start-up going on.
I got the pickup and drove back to the Farmers Market. I had always wanted to hand some good pro-veteran literature to the folks who run the “if we just lay down all our weapons everyone else will too” folks at the peace booth. Hey, I’m pretty peaceful too, unless I get riled up. I did walk through the Farmers Market for about an hour, and I did hand out about 50 flyers and thank half a dozen veterans. I also met the commander of the local American Legion Post, who is also the Champaign County American Legion adjutant. I gave him a flyer and thanked him for his service to our country.
My son, wife, and grandkids joined me, and my son Joe introduced me to veteran Harold Fleming, who served in Germany in the Special Forces just a couple of years before I did. We soon realized that we couldn’t tell each other what we’d done in the war, or we’d have to kill each other to keep the secrets.
Harold does woodworking and woodcarving near Oakwood. My son had just ordered a beautiful bench from him, and he just happened to have it along at the market, so I got to see it. His little company is called Kickapoo-woodworks. It was good so meet a skilled craftsman, who can take pride in his work.
I got to thank Herold for his service to our great nation, and he invited me to stop by and see him and his woodwork shop some time. I hope to do that, maybe on this walk.
I had offered to take Mary out to breakfast at the Courier, and it was getting on toward 11:00, so off we went to wait for a table, and eventually our respective omelets. It was really nice to sit down to a meal together and enjoy each other’s’ company. The only bad thing about weekends off on the walk is that I really miss Mary the first few days back on the road. Of course there won’t be much more “back on the road,” now because I have (or so I believe) less than (fewer than, for you grammar purists) 50 miles to go to the Indiana state line.
So this afternoon we (Mary and I) get to watch the grandkids, and then it’s off to put up a sign at the church, and such other duties as my dear wife chooses to assign me.
In defense of the News-Gazette, my photojournalist tried all day today to call a wrong number. She has since e-mailed me, and I’ve e-mailed her back, so we have now established a communication link. I’ll call her later today to tell her my precise start point for Monday’s walk, and maybe I’ll make the local paper after all.
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