Thursday 4 August 2016

Tuesday, July 26th, 2016

Tuesday, July 26th, 2016
Des Moines, Iowa

Turning Some Souls

Yes, we made it to the big city—big, meaning big for Iowa.  Someone said that its population is just over a half-million.

Frankly, though, there was minimal interaction with people during the course of our walk (Mandala is with me).  We did trek through an area of corn, then an urban sprawling Altoona, followed by Des Moines itself.  Strip mall retail zones, the guts of the city—industrial—along Delaware Ave., then municipal district (capital state building), the artsy area, and then the university.  At one point in the morning rush hour, at Hwy. 6, motorists, noticing the robes, became head-turners.

By noon I had done my day’s quota.  Much of the trek was under the hot sun.  We were like toast!  Mandala, by the way, victoriously did his first 20 miles, ever.

It was in the University City of Ames, north of Des Moines that I could realistically interact with humans.  At Inis Grove Park local students set up a program for a “Tales from Trails” session.  The set topic I was asked to extract from this was “Is the Concept of World Walking Utopian?”

To prepare for my talk to this group of brilliant students, I reviewed my blog notes since beginning this leg of the walk.  It was a refresher looking over the adventures of the last two months.  I realize from the perusal that our team touched many souls.  No way are we poised to convert everyone into a pilgrim or pedestrian, but if by the message more people buy into the walking culture, we will consider to be having some success.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles



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