Leagha looked up after seeing her tip and reading the note. “Are you serious?” We assured her we were. “I’m going to have to head back to the kitchen before I start to cry!” she said with big eyes.
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Project Wildness
She told us how she recently had to have surgery on her wrist for carpal tunnel. The healing process would take six months. She showed us the cast on her arm. The job working at her Dad's general store was mostly to pass the time, she said.
We took turns introducing Project Wildness and our mission – Good Inspires Good. Greetings and handshakes lead to stories and conversations. One person said, “You always hear about things like this, but never expect it to happen to you.” Another commented, “You picked the perfect place to do this. All the locals love this place. Every year the owners threaten to retire, but we won’t let them!”
By picking up extra shifts on holidays, weekends, and nights James has set aside money to build his own recording studio in his home. “I just wish I could be an artist full time,” James said. This was our cue. Nate handed over a bill and said, “We want to help you get a little closer to your dream. Use this on your boys or whatever you see fit.”
“Enjoying life, huh?” Nate asked. “I’m livin’ the dream but it ain’t mine,” Steve replied. “I’m just not sure whose it is, but it ain’t mine!” he joked. A long laugh burst through Steve’s perpetual smile. “Well, it seems like you’re enjoying it while you’re at it,” Nate said. “You got to!” Steve said with big eyes. “If you don’t, life sucks! Right?”
There are three things that Marty truly loves – trees, conversation, and coffee. Over a short period of time we learned quite a lot about Marty’s dreams and goals – how she wanted to improve her motel and, “…attract nice people like you guys.” Marty also shared stories about her family as well as some tales of her more unusual guests. As we pulled out of the parking lot one thing was apparent – Marty was a character, but few people are as genuine as her.
Nate approached the street light musician and asked, “Have you had any luck?” The musician replied, “No, not really.” He adjusted the guitar strap a bit as if he were shifting a heavy burden on his back. “A few cars have gone by, but nothing yet.” He gently placed the well-aged instrument back in its case – seemingly held together by hundreds of stickers. “Do you need anything?” Nate asked, gesturing toward the gas station.
Leon looked big and well built. Mid-30s. He had dark eyes that reflected the little bit of low light left hanging on to the evening. “How you doing?” Nate asked. Leon looked up from his spot on the patio. With a pensive look at the floor and then back at us, he answered, “Umm… Not too well.” Leon returned a Black & Mild to his lips and inhaled slowly. We sat down next to him.
Our first ever Live Wildness event was an incredible success! The basic idea was to gather anyone and everyone who wanted to live a day in the life of Project Wildness and spread kindness in their local community. People were split into groups and sent out with one goal - Do Good. The stories that developed and impacts felt were incredible.
At 6:00AM on June 7th, U.S. Army SPC Ross Cameron attempted to turn a corner on a rainy Sunday morning only to miss the turn by less than a foot. His car caught a curb and rolled over a median, hitting two trees before landing upside-down in the opposite lane of traffic. His airbag deployed leaving behind a gruesome memory as he died of positional asphyxiation.