I Picked Up a Hitchhiker

Today was like any other Thursday, until I got off work. Just as I’m getting onto I-20 I see a hitchhiker. Now, I don’t know why I did this. I have only picked up one other person in 12 years. Without thinking I pulled onto the shoulder and in climbs this mid-twenties white guy.

Meet Drew: He’s 24 years old and is a graduate student at the University of Georgia. Though, to be honest, you couldn’t tell it by his appearance. Let’s just say he was dressed like an undergrad who just casually went to class. Scruffy brown beard with a head covered in a toboggan hat -the ones w/ the little bill. Drew had just completed his last final and decided to go on an adventure. He’s “thumbing it” from Athens, Georgia to San Francisco, California. Sure hope that thumb holds up because that’s a LOT of open road. But wow… what an adventure that would be. Imagine the stories… in fact, I guess I’m writing one now.

Drew has roughly 10 tattoos and plays bass in a band. After talking for 15 minutes or so he asked the inevitable question, “What do you do for a living.” This can often be a turning point in any new connections. (Do you guys get that too?) I replied, “I work at a local church. I’m a young adult pastor.” He sat back for a minute and with his head nodding, said “That’s cool. Never hung out with a pastor before.” That led to some testimony conversations -I told him a bit of my past and present, which he seemed interested in.

Don’t shoot me for this part -He and I played guitar together in my garage. We jammed out for about 30 minutes. He was good. Then, I took him back to the interstate, shook his hand, and wished him well.

What an unusual experience. He turned out to be a very cool guy who is about to have quite an adventure. In a way, I’m some what envious. If it were me, I’d do it cross-country in a 1972 VW camper top bus. Hippie style.

I may never see Drew again. But I bet he will think about our conversations a good bit while on the road.