Talking to all the gasoline at all the gas stations
On day 92 of crossing America barefoot I travelled from Sneads FL to Grand Ridge FL...
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Some dogs barked at me. I walked to a gas station and bought cashews. As I was leaving the gas station I decided to talk to one of the gasoline pumps. I picked up a nozzle and said, “Stop letting humans use you.”
Maybe someday the guy who writes books about court rooms will write a book about a red gasoline can who goes to court and cries because humans burned all its relatives to death.
After I was done talking to the gasoline I thought, “Maybe I should talk to all the gasoline at all gas stations.”
A childrens book about the person who talked to every gasoline in america.
Across the street there was another gas station. I walked over and said, “Hey they’re doing pipelines everywhere and if we don’t stop them then eventually all the pipes will leak because that’s what pipes do which would be sad…personally I don’t like leaking pipes because leaking pipes kill the water and if all the water gets killed we won’t have anything to drink.”
I hope everyone is excited about drinking styrofoam when all the water dies.
After I got done talking a lady said, “I know.” It felt good to be reaching some people.
It’s like I’m a child who thinks he lost his hands but then finds them in the pockets of the old pair of jeans he was wearing.
A few hundred feet up the road there were two more gas stations. I yelled words at these gas stations. A few people looked at me and then went inside the gas station to eat cigarettes or something.
So I guess the plan to save the world is to yell at gasoline about how all the animals, glaciers, and water is dying.
Years ago when I first thought of the idea of crossing america barefoot I had wanted to make little speeches in every town I passed through. I thought I would talk at libraries or something.
Sadly not every town has a library. But even sadder…every town has a gas station.
As I was walking out of the town of Sneads a man on a four wheeler rolled up next to me and asked if I was saved. I asked what “saved” was. He said, “Jesus is going to return to earth and take all the saved people to a new planet he built.” I asked what was going to happen to this planet. He said, “This planet is already gone.” I asked if he was going to do anything to save it. He said, “There’s nothing I can do. This world is already over. Jesus is coming.” I kneeled down and touched the earth. Then I looked at the man and said, “This is the only earth that currently exists. It’s the most beautiful and perfect object any of us have ever known. There is no future with a second earth because the only thing that exists is the present moment. You have more power than you believe. We can save this planet. If I agreed to get “saved” by this “jesus” would you agree to fight to save earth.” The man on the four wheeler took a sip of dr pepper and said, “I already told you this world can’t be saved. Jesus is coming back to take us to his new earth where we can live forever.” Before I could say anything the man was driving away on his four wheeler. I felt sad. This man expected jesus to do all the work for him. I don’t understand how a person who died thousands of years ago is going to build a new earth. I also don’t think it’s fair to make this jesus who already supposedly died for everyone’s sins to go out and build an entire new planet. Isn’t it enough he already died for “everyone?” Now he has to go build this earth 2.0? I think religious people expect too much from their gods. They’re like, “dear god, this earth is getting a little trashy…can you build a death star planet for me and all the people who only think like me?”
Person does a religious thing to “save” themselves and then spends the rest of their life killing the planet with general laziness and lack of empathy as they wait for some dude who died thousands of years ago to build them a vacation home.
When I began walking again I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try to talk to more religious people or never talk to any ever again.
Maybe I’ll start telling people I like to pray to the severed head of Ronald Reagan which I dug up years ago and am carrying around in my bag.
I walked for a few miles and then sat down next to a fence to eat some collard greens. A friend called. We talked about how to live. Then I called my grandmother. When I told her about the man on the four wheeler who was drinking dr pepper she said, “I wish people would just let jesus be. Let him sleep.”
I just want say something about dr pepper. It is a soda. In the last few years I haven’t really liked including brand names in my writing but it felt dishonest not to include this brand name because dr pepper is just as responsible as the bible for creating lazy people who don’t want to personally accept the life they’re currently living and would rather put all their hopes and attention on something that doesn’t exist and most likely won’t ever exist.
The rest of the day was a mix of every other day. I walked barefoot. Cars looked at me. It got dark. I stopped at a store to buy food. The moon was beautiful. Some dogs barked. I got tired and laid down next to some trees.
What I ate on day 92: Bananas, cashews, dates, black beans, salsa, pumpkin seeds, pineapple, canned green beans, canned potatoes, collards, and almonds.
A poem
A man / looked at me / and / said / did you know / there is / a severed head / filled / with skittles / floating / inside / an aquarium / of / mayonnaise / in the trunk / of / my gasoline machine / I found it / at / a yard sale / it cost / forty dollars / I’ll probably / sell it / for / twenty / thousand / dollars / on the internet / I slowly / walked away / from / this man / until / I was / alone / in a field / where / I sat down / and / ate / a bag / of / old lettuce
If you're interested in my previous journey across America check out the book: I am a road.
