Hitch Hikers Detour - A Journey To Rock Bottom I knew this day would eventually arrive, and I tried to prepare myself emotionally and mentally as best I could. Yet, it means nothing because you cannot get back the precious time that was lost nor correct certain decisions that were made, which bring consequences I will need to be held accountable for in the future. The story you are about to read is fictional, while the people are real but names have been changed. Success should only be measured by oneself equating to the value which sustains happiness. I find myself using extreme caution early on in my new journey, and constantly find myself having to remind myself to keep my eyes on the road at all time. Journeys aren't always traveled in a straight line. You will encounter sharp curves, and at times have to learn to maneuver around obstacles that can appear unexpectedly, and cause severe damage if not careful and alert. Moderate speeds should be maintained at all times. There is absolutely no need to speed or rush through your journey, so if any obstacles should suddenly appear in the road ahead I have adequate time to slow down, access the area, and safely continue forward. As the first destination is reached, I then set one after another, sort of like check points or goals, making the long road ahead less daunting. As I reach each destination, I gain more confidence and it seems like nothing can come between me and where I am destined to go. . Yet, the distance I've traveled during this trip, I have reached in prior trips, so the familiarity also brings a fear of becoming to complacent which in the past has lead to falling asleep at the wheel, veering off course and crashing. Not this time, I'm alert, focused and remind myself, its the farther I travel and when I enter into unfamiliar territory, that's when the journey truly begins. I remind myself to watch the road currently in front of me, and continue forward. I'm in control and regulate the speed throughout this journey, and the longer I'm on the road, I remember I have cruise control, and so I flip the switch and continue on effortlessly and without any worry in the world. Suddenly, I notice there is something in the middle of the road up ahead, and as I get closer and the object becomes larger in my view I realize it is a hitch hiker, a women, walking down the center line of the road. I dont think much of it as I come across people of all colors and creeds during my travels all the time. I've heard of stories of travelers who pick up people they find along their journeys. Most stories end harmless enough, but theres always that risk. A risk I personally would have never even considered. Which is why I should have listened to my instincts when my first thought was how it was for this hitch hiker to choose to walk in the middle of such a heavily traveled road.. I reduced my speed as I get closer to the traveler, who by now has noticed me approaching, but made no attempt to settle to the shoulder. Instead remaining in the middle of the road as if forcing me to remove any choice to safely pass. Now, if this was the script of a scary movie I was watching, I would be screaming at the Television, "Don't you stop idiot, its a trap!" As my speed reduced to almost a crawl, I notice it was a middle aged women, with makeup running down here cheeks as if she had been crying. In her right hand I notice a small bottle of vodka and in her left, a half smoked cigarette that was no longer lit. Frustration began to set in, as I was less then a full car link behind her, yet she walked toe to heel down the center line. I aggressively pushed my hand in the middle of my steering wheel, sounding the horn. The hitch hikers reaction was not one that would be expected. It was as if the hitch hiker cared nothing of the dangers she posed by standing in the middle of a heavily traveled road intoxicated. I cautiously proceed to pull up beside her, and against my better judgement, I roll down the passenger side window. She slowly stumbles toward my car, and with one quick glance, a smile appears on her tired but pretty face. "Can I travel with you, please?," are the first words she can manages to slur in my direction. I took a few moments to look the women over, and asked how she ended up alone walking down the middle of the road. She unscrewed the plastic lid to the vodka bottle and took a large chug down her throat, swallowed, and muttered," I just was sick and tired of traveling in the wrong direction, so he told me to get out." My first thought was to tell her that if it hadn't been for her walking down the middle of the road, I had no intentions of allowing any obstacles to get between me and the destination I've set out to reach. Instead, I let her attractiveness dictate my thoughts and ignore asking any other pertinent question, which I soon regret immensely. I realized I couldn't consciously not offer her a ride, but yet again I thought it would be nice to have some company even if only for a short time. I responded, "You can join me on my travels, but I am on a long journey of my own, and you can go as far as my next destination takes me, then you must find your own way. She quickly hoped into my passenger side door, and slammed it shut, and I shifted the car in drive and set out on my journey toward my next destination which I used as check points as I realized I had traveled a distance I had never reached prior. Suddenly I felt very uneasy and my nerves began to get the best of me. I had traveled at ease for so long avoiding most obstacles and curves early on. I had traveled so far and reached my destinations with ease in familiar territory. The hitch hiker wasnt shy of with qucikly sharing each details of her journey, and I just listened as we set off to my next destination. She spoke of her companion, the abuse, her isolation, a story muffle by snot and tears, holding an empty vodka bottle heavily intoxicated. The story she shared seemed as if she had been to war each day she woke up. We reached the next destination that I used as check points during my long journey. It was where we were to part ways. Unfortunately, the journey I set out to complete ended when I came across an obstacle that wasn't of the type that normally caused me to crash and burn. The repairs I would need from hitting this obstacle would be internal, and were very severe. It was the last check point I ever would reach during my long journey. She had convinced me to take a detour rerouting my travels in a completely different direction. Ten months have passed since my journey was rerouted and detoured into hell. I began my journey with hope, inspiration and with one objective to accomplsih. It turns out that the obstacles that have lead to me serving into the ditch, crashing and even the occassional obstruction to my view in recent travels were minor compared to the "obstacle" I encountered on this trip. Its ironic, as I would like to believe when I set out on my new found journey, that I was prepared to elude any and all road conditions or obstacles as Ive been down this same road many times before. This time the obstacle was neither, Alchol or Drugs that hindered me from reaching my destination. I was able to manuevuer those which in prior journeys caused me to metaphorically speaking be chased down by the Highway Patrol, and arrested. Each time, I've had to restart from mile marker number one. On this journey, the obstacle was not of any mind altering chemicals, but of a beautiful women (2) Windows smashed (vehicle), (1) Window smashed (Apt) Vehicle Breakdown (1) Inheritance Depleted (3 months) Apartment Eviction (1) Jail Sentences (3) Hospital Visits (5)h Days Homeless (60) Location Unknown (14+ Nights)