After getting a late start yesterday morning we rolled along another Main Street, and we have walked many on our journey, into town. We passed by small lakes as the brisk wind had me walking as fast as I could until we came to a business named Potpourri who were preparing for a company cook out who gave us a piece of grilled chicken before we went on our way. We stopped at the Northbridge Fire Department for a company patch and some advice to head toward Boston. I followed the direction to go straight, but I went straight straight not left straight which I later discovered was the right straight. This led us past a couple who stopped us and told us we had taken a wrong turn after I told them where we were headed. It turns out the wife was diabetic and we talked of the eye surgeries she had received at The Joslin Center and important proper regulation and knowledgeable physicians are to proper care. This wrong turn had led me to have a fulfilling conversation and memory I will hold dear.
We turned around, now pushing against the strong wing and went slowly the short distance to the Cross Street that had us on course to Boston again. A short time later we met a woman whose husband had seen us as we walked by during our "wrong turn" and she took our phone number and helped us during the day to clarify the best route. She also gave me the ride at the end of the day to get our support van moved up. Our "wrong turn" led us to one of many Good Persons of the day.
After rolling through a gauntlet of narrow roadway playing dodge ball with traffic we finally came to open sidewalks as the clouds grew dark and I was wondering where we may be able to stop for the night. It was then that an Upton Patrol officer pulled up and noticed we were "having a ball". In all the mile I have walked this year that waS the first time anyone had said that line, I had to laugh out loud. As we talked I asked for his help to find sanctuary for the night and he did just that by talking to the fire department of Upton who have let us stay in the back lot.
The members of the police and fire community in Upton were more than generous with a place to park, they have fed us and given us some extra supplies for our journey. It is warm hearted generosity of Angels of the road that make this journey more than special. II am doing the walking, but our sponsors like Uptons' finest and the good woman who helped us through the day are the heroes.
In Massachusetts some drivers stop to let us cross even when we aren't thinking of going to the other side. I will admit, I crossed anyway.
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My family drove past you as you walked on your way through Northbridge. We speculated about what cause would have you traveling with a giant globe and none of us suggested diabetes as an option. My family will continue to follow your journey online and I hope it continues to impact them as it did when we first looked you up - whether it is learning more about the hardships so many families suffer as a result of diabetes, or the motivation of stories of meeting kind strangers or the amazing sacrifice you are making in order to spread awareness about your cause. I am certain passing you that day will leave a lasting impression on us all. Good luck to you and your cause. Safe travels.
The Richardsons
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