The Older, Delirious Hitchhikers in Colorado

Looking at the two 30-something brothers that we talked with from the curb in Colorado on July 3, who acted delirious, with “eyeballs rolling loosely in their heads,” underscores a previous point I was trying to make about the two forms of hitchhiking.  There’s the group that WANTS to be out there, who are hitchhiking because that’s their choice.  It’s their preferred mode of travel. They want to thumb for the experience, to broaden their wavelength. Then we have people like the brothers, who were born in Delaware but coming via South Carolina, on their way to North Dakota to start a new life for themselves.  They were hitchhiking because it was the only option left to them. They had only pennies between them.  They had to hitch because they didn’t have the resources to do it any other way. I hope that contrast comes out in my writing. “My heart leapt out to them as I realized the differences.” (page 70) I innocently asked them how long they’d been traveling. The answer came back, “since the first of May" (meaning, over two months).  Otto and I covered approximately the same distance (2,000 miles) in one week. They were flabbergasted, but kept their pride. They smelled like grease and oil, and walked across the state of Kentucky without getting one ride.  They slept during the day and hitched at night. Incredibly, despite all their hardships, I stated, “They weren’t complainers and possessed a sense of self-sufficiency I hadn’t seen much in other people.” So they still get points for bravery. Despite all, they had something which most other people don't have.