Jim Burns called me yesterday night to catch up on how my journey was panning out. I met this magnificent Irish storyteller in May of 2014 when I walked into Quincy, IL on my way west. Actually met him on Sunday the day I spoke to the congregation of Unity Church located on Washington Square.
Monica Thompson hosted me in her home for my 2 week stay in this most delightful city on the Mississippi. Monica attends Unity as well. She found me trudging in the hot sun on the side of Rt 24 outside Rushville, IL after she noticed I was limping and stooped over.
She pulled over and asked me to hop in so I could take advantage of her air conditioning and offered to take me to my next town of Rushville.
I asked her if it was her normal routine to pick up strange men on the side of the road. She replied that no she doesn't do that but saw that I had a beautiful aura of color about me so she knew it would be safe to pick me up. Told her I have heard that some people can literally see a band of color around people. Not me.
She then drove me the few miles to Rushville. When I arrived later in Quincy she invited me into her home occupied by herself and her 13 year old son, Dakota.
Monica is a practicing holistic healer and masseuse and gave me several back massages and even took me to her chiropractor and paid for my adjustment.
I still remember the chiropractor telling me in a somber tone, "Sir...you have the range of motion in your limbs of a 90 year old man. You cannot possibly keep walking to the west coast. You will never make it!"
I told him that he should not underestimate me or the power of the mind over matter. I have found that grueling tests like mine are mostly mental not physical. He gave me a little smirk as if to tell me he knew better.
In any case, Jim told me that Unity Church has been without a minister for awhile and I advised him that I have been ordained a minister. Told him that I could help out for a month or 2 while they find a permanent replacement. I'm still scheduled to walk west in May.
So, if Unity Church could pay my way out to Quincy and back to Denver I would be amenable to helping out. Jim thought it a splendid idea and told me he has rental space where I could be housed.
Jim is Vice President of the church board and will bring it up at their next meeting. He also wanted my address here in CO so he could send me a contribution.
Jim used to be a Catholic Brother and worked in a community of Brothers years ago. He is now retired.
As for my activities today, I visited the library and checked out "War and Peace" by Tolstoy and "Kim" by Rudyard Kipling. Spoke with the librarian and she asked me if I liked Dylan Thomas's book of poetry which I had brought back today. Told her I love Thomas and noted that he and Edgar Lee Masters used to go on drinking binges together and Thomas probably wrote some of his best work either drunk or hungover.
She told me she really got into Dylan Thomas when she was an English Major at Georgetown University and when she was working towards her Masters at the University of Virginia.
She showed me where they keep all of the classics like War and Peace. They are hidden in a cabinet near the librarians office. Told her I would be back to check out some of the other classics.
Staying at the Boarding House tonight to work on an article for Prof Mike Foster's blog. It concerns some of the more harrowing incidents I encountered on my trek west across the Great Plains on my way to Denver.
Tomorrow I am leading the Adult Sunday School Class at the United Church, so I'm working on my lesson as well tonight.
Goodnight my friends and I trust tomorrow will find you well.
BR Schoenbein
January 9, 2015- Saturday
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