Last night was an engaging and slightly disturbing evening. To start with, I'm coming to see that the truckstops transform every night when we're out there: when we arrive, it's dark and sketchy, but as soon as we start to engage in conversation and pull out the camera, the place brightens up a bit.
Last night we spoke with a trucker who has been driving for 33 years. He owns his own small trucking company, but doesn't really plan to retire even though he is sad to see where the industry has gone over the last decade.
"It used to be like a family. Now it's just a bunch of groups," he said, "back in the day it was like a party, and now you have to watch your back. I try not to make eye contact when I'm walking across the lot to the truckstop."
He, and another trucker, told us that they both have friends who slept with lot lizards, and contracted HIV that developed into AIDS. They described their friends transforming before their eyes from robust people into withered discolored apparitions of their former selves.
~
Most of my friends and loved-ones who have talked to me about this trip, express concern for my physical safety. After all of my years of travel, I am no more concerned for my safety (and no less wary of the dangers), however this trip is starting to give me subtle hints as to the emotional dangers of talking to people I'm not supposed to talk to while asking questions I'm not supposed to ask.Peace and Love,
Dan
Guards against emotional dangers include: meditative breaks where by you focus on the good things in life, candid writing, talking to those that you love and are dear to you, watching the sunset and/or the sunrise, slowly sipping on an enjoyable beverage of your choosing, washing your hands and face and taking a good look in the mirror to remind yourself of your own strength, a few shots of whiskey, and most difficult of all, a separation of self with an invisible boundary drawn between your heart and your mind.
ReplyDeleteMore photos please!
ReplyDelete