I am currently in Fontana, CA. ( near San Bernardino)  getting ready to cross more desert country. Out here in this arid territory, when you see a stand of trees off in the distance, it almost always means there will  be a dwelling in the middle. I look for these little oasis's hoping to ask for water and thereby keeping full bottles of water at all times. On Thursday, as I was approaching just such an oasis, I saw a Mexican man just in front of me with a machete in his hand, "what can I do for you?" He said, in pretty good English. Call me timid, but.... machetes make me nervous.  I held up my water bottle and asked if I could please have some water. He smiled real big, introduced himself as Moses and asked that I follow him. When we walked beyond the trees, I could see that he and two other Mexican men were cutting a small growth of sugar cane. Moses asked what I was up to, the sign and all. I explained to him and he immediately insisted on getting a chair for me, a delicious home made sausage and egg burrito he had left over from breakfast, and two apples. He made sure all my water bottles were full and then went back to cutting sugar cane. While I was sitting there, another of the workers walked up with an 8 foot piece of sugar cane and offered it to me. I told him I did indeed appreciate it, but it was way too heavy for me to lug around. And with one swipe of the machete he cut it in half for me. He showed me how to peel back the cane to get at the sweet center core. In very broken English, he explained, "When thirsty" and he demonstrated by placing the end of the stalk at his mouth, "You suck... is good!" He said. He and the other two were smiling broadly, they seemed to be delighted in taking a small break from their strenuous labor and to be of help to a stranger. When i left, they all three shook my hand and wished me well. Moses kept asking if there was anything else they could do for me. He said to me, "Man, I always want to help the people who want to help people." I gave him my card and as I turned to walk back to the highway, I could hear those sharp blades cutting through the cane... I like machetes.
Very early the next day, Friday morning, I got a call on my cell phone. It was Moses wanting to know how I was doing and how far I had walked. I explained to him that I had not gone very far far, as the wind was fierce and hindering my forward progress. We both agreed that the wind would probably die down as the temperature became hotter. Moses also told me that I should be very near the U.S. Border Patrol check point and could get fresh water. By 9:00 am the wind worsened and a sandstorm became my new concern and just as I was preparing to cover my face with a bandanna, an old white Chevy S-10 pickup pulled over in front of me. I was delighted to get a ride out of the blowing sand! I threw my stuff in the truck bed and opened the door to see a young Mexican man smiling broadly and with thick accent, he said, "Man, you're too old for this shit!" I had only known him but seconds and could see already, we thought a lot alike. His name was Tony, he was 20-years-old and on his way to L.A. to sell his truck and purchase another to sale. He explained that used vehicles was one of his means of income. We pulled into the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint. I told Tony that I had become pretty well known to the Border Patrol along both our southern and northern borders. I had even been given a U.S. Border Patrol shoulder patch. Tony reached out his identification to the BP Officer. "Where's your driver's license?" Asked the officer. "Why do you need that?" Asked Tony. "Because the nice California Highway Patrolman standing over there wants to be sure you are complying with the laws of the state of California." And of course, you, as well as I, and the officer, now know that Tony probably is not in possession of a legal drivers license... right? "Please, may I see your drivers license?" Repeats the very courteous and equally determined officer. "Uh... I don't have it on me sir." Stammers Tony. "Why?" Asks the officer. "Well... uh...see... I ... uh... had this ticket I never paid and... uh... " The officer cut Tony short with, "Is you license suspended sir?" Well... uh... yeah." Tony was able to get out of his mouth. The BP hails the California Highway Patrolman over to our truck. He was a huge man probably in his early fifties. The first thing he says upon seeing me and my "LOVE LIFE" sign, "Hey, I see you gave this man a ride... good, good, real good! I saw you this morning in all that sand and hoped someone would give you a ride." The CHP took the papers that Tony did have on him and said "Now if you are telling me the truth sir, that you have but one ticket your drivers license was suspended for, I'll just write you another ticket and let you go... if the gentleman next to you has a valid drivers license... 'cause you sir... are not driving away from here!" He then asked for my drivers license and I proudly gave him my Sunshine State drivers license!
He went back to his patrol car to run checks on everything. Tony said to me, "Man, did I do the right thing by picking you up! But now I'm going to have to pay another ticket! Damn, damn... why do these things keep happening to me?" "Cause, you neglected to pay the original ticket and you are driving without a drivers license... stupid shit!" He looked at me as if I had just happened upon some great revelation about life when the CHP yelled for him to come over to his vehicle. I saw the CHP being very stern with Tony and also seemed to be sympathetic toward his dilemma. Oh, and by the way, also going on right beside us, a drug sniffing dog had picked up the scent of suspected drugs in an old mini-van. The older Hispanic occupants were sitting on a curb shaking their heads no and claiming, "dey are perscripshun, dey are perscripshun!" After a few minutes Tony and the CHP walked back over to the truck. The trooper still had not checked the validity of my license, and so Tony and I waited for that process. "Man!" Tony says, "I can't believe it, he only gave me a citation... I think it is because I picked you up... man!" I then saw the CHP walking back toward us so I stepped from the tuck to assume my new driving responsibilities. When from behind me I heard, "Sir, would you please step back into the vehicle!" I turned to see the BP motioning for me to get back into the truck. I immediately leaped back into the truck! See, in my world, whoever has a loaded gun... also has authority over me. The CHP now walks up to the truck with my drivers license in his hand and so now I get out of the truck to change sides. The handler of the drug sniffing dog says something to the CHP and so the CHP is now giving his attention to the dog handler. Now, you have to realize there is a lot going on at this checkpoint and a lot of noise. But... I am out of the truck again and.... from the Border Patrol's finest, came, "Sir! You must get back into the vehicle!" And adhering to the laws of 'my world', back into the truck I jumped!! The CHP and the dog handler had obviously decided, to the huge relief of the occupants of the drug sniffed van, the drugs were indeed prescription.  Now the CHP looks at me and says, "Sir, you are going to have to get out of the vehicle and assume the driving responsibilities." He was looking at me as though I should have already realized this fact.  This is just great, now I have two authority figures with loaded guns on them...??? I said, "Sir, I've been trying to but.... " He never heard me and the BP who yelled at me was doing something else... and so I assumed driving responsibilities.
So... I was now driving down CA. RT. 86 headed toward LA. and Tony is now my passenger. I had told Tony my story and he said to me, "Man, you probably will not believe this, but, last week when I was eating Chinese food, my fortune cookie fortune told me I would soon meet someone who would give me advice that would change my life! I have been looking at everyone I've met since then and i think you're the one!" Now there's some pressure! Thanks Tony! He began telling me how he felt he was walking on a sharp edge and could easily fall off at any time. He explained how things just seemed to keep getting worse for him and he didn't know how to stop it. I said. "Oh, I can definitely help you get started on stopping things from getting worse." Oh please!" Pleaded Tony. "Okay, first, you gotta' stop doin' stupid shit!"  And Tony said, "Well... er... I... uh" I interrupted with, "And you have to quit makin' excuses for doin' stupid shit!" We had a very long and meaningful discussion, so much so.... I missed my exit by about twenty miles! Tony called me late last night on his way back home to thank me.
Today I will walk up to CA. RT. 18 and head toward Big Bear Lake and try to get back on course. I wonder what new adventure awaits me today?!