We slept in until about 10 today. I dont really know if that was a good idea or not, as I had a headache for most of the day. You know the feeling you get whaen you get TOO MUCH rest? Thats what I felt today. We helped Dad get the RV ready to move tomorrow and then he dropped us off at CiCi’s where we stopped last night. We had only been walking about 30 minutes and I was hungry as I forgot to grab food at the trailer with all of the hustle of getting things together and getting down the road. As we walked, we were passing all of our favorite places from home. Starbucks immediately comes to mind! Up ahead I noticed a McAlisters, and described it’s many wonders to Marccus who had never eaten there. As we passed I saw Dad standing at the front door. He motioned for us to come over and as we walked in the manager told us that lunch was on the house! Thank you Jesus!!! McAlisters SWEET TEA? Really? Ohhh, we were in heaven. We finished our meal and Dad sent us on our way. He made a point to tell us that if we met our daily walking goal today, that he would take us to Starbucks tonight!
From that point on, we were jammin. As we walked through Bentonville we quickly realized that this was the town that Walmart built. There were signs of it EVERYWHERE! Someone told us that the Bentonville airport is even bigger than the airport in the capitol city of Little Rock. We were making our way through town, and I was enjoying the McAlisters sweet tea that I took to go, when a man nearly ambushed us by jumping out of the bushes. He scared us pretty good! Come to find out, he was a photographer from the newspaper and was there to photograph us for a piece in tomorrows Bentonville Daily Record. About an hour later, Dad pulled up with a reporter and we stopped for an interview. He was really cool about our walk, and even got Marccus to open up a little about why he decided to fly out to walk with me.
Marccus is a very private person. He is outgoing and funny, but when it comes to personal maters he doesnt talk much about it. So when the reporter asked him why he decided to do this with me, I was surprised at his answer. He told the reporter that “certain things” have happened in the last few months that convinced him that there was more to life than sitting around watching TV. He has said that in several interviews, but when the reporter pressed him to explain what these “certain things” were he finally answered in detail. He described a life changing experience that came in the form of a rollover accident he and Granddad were in a few months ago. It left Granddad with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Marccus wounds were mostly emotional , while he does still have pain in his back and neck at times. He has never really talked to me about the wreck, but I could tell by the little that he said today that he is working through some things, and that his eyes have been opened in many ways.
On our way to the Missouri line we crossed over a river a few times. There were TONS of people playing in it and cooling off. We were very jealous! It was getting hotter by the minute and we were growing tired just as fast. By the time we reached the border, we were just about dead! LOL. Really though, we were through. Dad picked us up and on the way back to dinner he told us that he had been in contact with a local Youth Pastor and that I would be speaking at his church on Wednesday. While we were driving the phone rang and it was him. He was calling to invite us to go on a canoe trip down the river with his youth group. I was so stoked! Here we had been so frustrated that we couldnt get in, and now we will be on it for 5 hours tomorrow! WoooHooo!
So, we went to Carions for dinner tonight. Thats right, CARINOS! It was cool to eat some familiar food for once. The food was great and the manager comped our meal 100%! Thanks to Mom for putting in a good word for us! After dinner, Dad made good on his promise to take us to Starbucks! We went to Barnes and Noble and hung out for an hour reading magazines and drinking Venti Vanilla Bean Fraps! What a way to end the day!
