Once again I found myself just walking down the road, with not a care in the world. Before starting this journey I was just like most of you, I had a steady job decent to low income but I managed all the same. Jessica however was the diamond in my life, I spent many hours wondering how a guy like me managed the attention of a girl like her long enough to have her say yes when I asked her on those first few dates.
We loved like two young lovers should, absolutely head over heals for eachother. I guess that doesn't madder now, she's long gone and one of the main reasons I stared my journey. I try not to think much of the past and only concentrate on the future, life seems much better since doing so. Before I knew it I found myself sitting on a park bench with my stomach rumbling with no end.
Normally I don't get hungry much, sadly thats a huge part of drifting. If you can't go more that a day without an entire meal, this life style isn't for you.
I start heading towards my nearest restaurant which just so happened to be a small pizza place called Pappies Pizza. Seemed like a small enough place that they might hear me out for a trade of pizza for work. I've been turned down many times but thatnever stops me because there is always someone willing to help out.
Now I'm sure many of you are thinking I'm just a free loader lookkng for a handout but I assure you that is not the case. I work for almost everything while 'traveling'. Clean dishes, scrub floors, mop up, I even helped a guy on a cunstruction job site once for bying me lunch. I'm no free loader, just a guy who has no money buy lives a life style that requires some.
"Hello"
"Well hi there, may I help you?"
"I have a quick question for you, now hear me out please?"
"I can do that for ya, what is your question?"
"Well I am on a journey to florida, no car, no bike. Just trying to get there from the help of others."
Now at this time I could see his attention was fleeting quickly, I decided to not go into details and just get the point.
"I was hoping I could work for some lunch, now I'm up for any job big or small, I would just like to trade my labor for a bit of lunch."
He wasn't having much of this, at this point it is critical to not be too pushy but also show him you're serious about your work. For this business I decided it was best to let my info sink in and not push the issue, although I was fairly certain he would send me out the door. To my surprise he said very little execpt "The mop is in the back, start back there and work your way out here.", So as he said I went back, grabbed the mop and got too work.
After I got the back room I worked my way to the very surprisingly empty front room. Hardly one person and he was on his way out. By the time I was done I put the mop back where I found it and there was a nice plate with two slices of cheese pizza and a cold Pepsi waitng for me.
I brought it out to the front room and started eating when the owner came out to say hello. The place was completely empty so he had some time to talk, we talked for awhile and I told him about my journey and some of the things I've learned already. Once we were finished talking I thanked him for the great meal and headed back on the road.
