137 ~ My Only 18-Wheeler Road Trip

By Kay Heitsch

When Bill opened the door of the cab of the 18-wheeler, I had no idea what adventure would lie ahead of me in the next 12 days, covering 4,773 miles.

I decided to take this road trip because it was fall, and Bill would be traveling East. I knew the trees would be beautiful.

I struggled to climb into the front seat. Wow, I was sitting up a lot higher than I expected. I liked that! Bill told me there wasn't much room inside the cab, so I shouldn't bring too much stuff. I got the necessities, and of course, my knitting and Dr. Peale booklets.

I enjoyed stopping at the truck stops. I told Bill how surprised I was that all the truckers were so friendly to me. He said, "Do you know why?" I answered, "No." Bill replied, "It's the way you smile and look them in the eyes. Most people don't make any eye contact, and you do."

I found some names of towns interesting on the trip: Coolville, Ohio; Guysville, Ohio; Promise Land, PA; and last but not least, Purgatory, MA.

When we were driving through Purgatory, Bill was making some funny remarks about the town's name. All of a sudden, we saw flashing lights come up next to the truck. Oh my gosh, we were being pulled over. The police officer came up on my side of the truck. There I sat, knitting away. By the look on his face, I don't think he was expecting to see Ma and Pa Kettle.

This police officer seemed a little grumpy at first. He asked for Bill's log books but found nothing wrong. I'd just finished making a cell phone sack, so I slipped a Bible verse inside and handed it to the police officer. I told him it was for his wife, and I hoped he'd have a nice day. He gave me a big smile and thanked me.

All kinds of people make a living driving 18-wheelers for many different reasons. I was able to give some booklets and my cell phone sack with Bible verses to several people.

One night, I met a woman in the bathroom at one of the truck stops. I'm friendly, so I started talking to her. We exchanged first names. Mary shared that the reason she was riding with her husband was that her son had been killed on a motorcycle, and now she couldn't stand to be alone. I shared with her how our son, Todd, had also died suddenly in a car accident.

Mary went on to say how hard it was to talk to anyone about her son because no one understands this kind of pain. She was in awe that I had come into that bathroom, and after all these years, she had found someone she could talk to who would understand.

We hugged each other, knowing the pain we both had been through. I gave her the cell phone sack with the Bible verse inside.

Mary's husband was waiting for her, and she told him how grateful she was, after all these years, to meet me. They both agreed it was no accident; we were brought together.

This was my one and only road trip. These were some pleasant experiences. However, I developed a horrible UTI and was allergic to the antibiotic. Bill and I both decided that riding in an 18-wheeler was not for me.

Remember how I led you on this long journey. Deuteronomy 8:2