*****
Stepping Out on a Limb
Exit 537
The fading light of day rested in my eyes as I hitchhiked down the road toward Cobb County, Tennessee. The fall of night was upon me as a blanket of darkness slowly moved in. The air was still except for the slight breezes that the passing cars and trucks created. The smell of the night air lingered, sometimes creating a warm chill. The road ahead stretched out for miles; all I could see was an endless highway. The beat the passing cars and trucks made as they passed drove me onward. The night before, I had taken refuge under an overpass until dawn. After a few hours of sleep, I arose early to continue on my way. Plus, I did not want the police to fine me for loitering.
That night as I walked on, I neared an exit where a streetlight flickered on and off. The highway was adorned with red taillights, white headlights, white streetlights, a yellowish glow from the moon and the yellow-gold signal lights of drivers getting on and off the exit ahead. A few feet ahead I saw a green and white sign that read Exit 537, Daylight and Flatt Wood Road, Next Right. I stuck out my thumb hoping to get a ride. But, I guess since it was dark, it was probably hard for drivers to see me; I turned and walked on. I was hoping I would have better luck in the little town of Daylight. I was tired; I had been walking for the last two days. I did catch a ride with a couple of truck drivers along the way. I was thankful for that. You know, they say, people don’t pick up hitchhikers like they used too. I could understand that in that day and time. Before too long, I reached Exit 537 and started down the ramp. I was weak, tired and didn’t have much money. Really, I just needed to rest. Then, out of nowhere, a car hit me, knocked me over the guardrail and down into the ditch. I didn’t hear the car come to a screeching stop; I couldn’t see the taillights or if they even hit their brakes or slowed down. I laid there in the ditch mangled and broken. I reached up and felt my face when I felt something warm running down it. Lord, I thought, I am going to die. In the distance, I could hear the screaming sirens. I was sure they were coming for me. I didn’t know how they would find me down in the ditch. I tried to get up but my legs were numb and heavy. My arms were bent behind my back and my voice was too weak to cry out for help. Oh, God, what am I to do? I don’t want to die this way, a hitchhiker in some far off place. My body ached and my head raced.
I closed my eyes and there before me was a beautiful clear light. It was so bright it took my breath away. It was so heavenly; my inner body came forth from my broken fleshy body that laid in the darkness of the ditch. Slowly, I was able to stand up with no aches or pains. I was no longer broken but whole once again. When I looked back, my broken body still laid on the ground; it was so lifeless, still and cold. I turned and walked up to the guardrail, climbed over it and started down the road.
I started seeing visions before me. I squinted my eyes and that’s when I saw her, my oldest sister. She was nine and I was two. She had dressed me up and was pushing me around in a doll buggy. I thought to myself, things have really changed a lot since then. Summers seemed so long back then. It was a time of an innocent and carefree life. Little things didn’t really matter all that much. The big things, well I was so young I couldn’t do anything about them. Playing was my biggest obstacle and my greatest concerns were rolling in the grass on a hot summer day, swimming in the creek or just walking in the rain. In the summer, the rain seemed to fall so lightly except for when there were summer thunderstorms. I looked around to the back of the house, the same house where I played Annie over so many times, and saw a little boy in the backyard taking a bath in a washtub. I looked and looked again, it was me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an old white headed man put me on a bicycle and give me a push. I held on for my life. I was crying and trying to hold the bike up at the same time. I could hear him yelling pedal, pedal, pedal. That’s how I learned to ride my first bicycle. I laughed and cried. The old man was my Popeye, my grandfather and best friend; he died when I was seven.
The next vision that appeared to me was of me driving a black VW all alone down the road one night. It was so dark; I had never seen it so dark before. While I was driving, I sensed something evil in the back seat. I couldn’t see what it was, but I definitely sensed its presence. My headlights only lit up the road so far. Everything else surrounding me was enveloped in darkness. Then I came upon a glowing clear light beside the road. At first I couldn’t make out what it was because the light was so bright. However, the closer I got the more clearer it became. It was Jesus hitchhiking beside the road. At first, I was afraid. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if I should stop or go on. The evil presence was still in the back seat. I had to do something but I didn’t know what. So, I pulled over and stopped. When I looked around he was already in the passenger’s seat. He came through the closed door and his heavenly glow surrounded him and only him. I wanted to speak, but knew no words. I continued down the road. He never spoke a word. As I drove on, I became wet with sweat and very disturbed. It’s odd how some things stick with you through the years.
The next vision was of my high school graduation. My classmates and I were all gathered on the football field. As the speaker delivered his speech, I sat there that day with no earthly idea of what lay before me. I was not prepared to face the real world. Even if I did my best, I would still fail. They called my name and I walked across the stage and received my diploma. After I received my diploma, I took my seat and watched as my classmates received theirs. I wondered how many of them I would never see again after that day. I also wondered how many would make it and how many wouldn’t. I stopped suddenly by the road. I cried out, “Oh, Lord what are you telling me? Why Lord are these things appearing before me? Lord, will you give me a second chance?” The cars sped by with a few honks, but not at me. I stood and watched the taillights of the cars that passed me by. The flickering lights lit up the night like glitter.
My eyes filled with tears as I faced yet another vision as I stood beside the road. Fall had come and it was if summer went to rest. The leaves were so brilliant in color they would take your breath away. The dressings of fall set the mood for autumn. The coolness of the air warned that winter was near. The fields were adorned with bales of hay and cutoff tobacco stalk stubs which were left from the cutting of tobacco. The barns housed the tobacco until it was ready to be cured and stripped. As I continued to watch the vision, I saw a huge bonfire with several people standing around it. Everyone was laughing, clowning around, roasting weenies and marshmallows and drinking cold drinks, priced at six cents each, out of glass bottles. Yes, I do remember that. I laughed so hard I nearly cried. Yes, yes, there have been plenty of good times. It seemed so long ago when I played spin the bottle and post office, hoping to steal a kiss.
I walked a little further; the light of the cars were so bright I could hardly see. I came upon a church with two houses behind it. One house was cheerful, happy and safe. But, the other was not as fortunate. Darkness lingered about it and it was sad, depressing, scary and evil. I looked into a room of the happy house. Surprisingly, I saw my family all together and talking. I waved and yelled, but they could not hear or see me. I was six at the time. Then I turned and looked into the window of the sad house. I saw myself in the bedroom standing beside the bed. Chills ran down my spine. I looked again and saw an older boy there in the room with me. He came over to me. I quickly turned away and have never been the same. All my life I have carried that moment on my shoulders. I guess I’ll carry it to my grave.
The next vision took me to a graveyard beside a church. Mama and Daddy were standing in front of the markers talking. Mama was so pretty and Daddy looked so handsome. It was hard to believe they had been gone for so long. Daddy must have said something funny because Mama started laughing hysterically. It was so good to see her laugh again because the last time I saw her she could barely grin. I prayed to the Lord to tell me what it al
l meant. I had seen enough and I was ready for whatever the outcome might be.
Then in the sky a vision opened and I stood in my backyard beside some fruit trees I had planted. I had one apple, one plum, one pear, one cherry and one peach. I had always wanted some fruit trees. I eventually saved up enough money to get some. My wife and I had been laid off for quite some time. But, with the Lord’s help, I was blessed with some fruit trees. I had planted them at the edge of the yard and it had been about two years. They had been doing great until one day I noticed my plum tree had become sickly. It wasn’t doing as good as the others. I did everything I could to keep from losing it. I even went to the agriculture place and asked them for advice. I didn’t want to lose it and I did everything they suggested I do. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. So, I prayed and asked the Lord to spare my plum tree. Day after day, I prayed but it didn’t seem to do any good. Several weeks later, a friend came by and I told him about my plum tree. We went down to the trees and he looked the plum tree over. He didn’t know what to do either. I told him I had been praying to the Lord for him to spare my plum tree. My friend looked at me with a puzzled look and told me it wasn’t a plum but a pear tree. He then showed me my plum tree. I didn’t know what to say. The plum tree had outgrown all the other trees. I was so wrapped up in the tree I thought was a plum, I hadn’t even noticed. I thanked the Lord and then started praying for the pear tree. The Lord pulled it through and it still lives to this day. It’s the only one left to this day. (We moved a few years later.) Yes, I do agree, the Lord does work in mysterious ways.
As I followed the next vision, I knew not what to expect. I saw my wife on our wedding day, along with my stepdaughter and grandchildren; those memories were sealed and never revealed to me. I continued to follow the light which carried me further down the road. As I journeyed onward, the sky opened with thunder and lightning. I stood there that night as giant drops of rain fell from the sky upon me. I had never felt so clean before.
As the lightning tore through the darkness, I saw yet another vision inside a tiny raindrop that was followed by snow. I was in no way ready for winter. The bitter chill, ice and the harshness of the cold always left me in want. However, the snow, I have to say, was fun. Snowball fights, building snowmen and sledding were the highlights of winter. But, packing in wood and coal was not my idea of fun. Neither was getting up on cold winter mornings to a cold room and floors from where the fireplace had gone out during the night. Christmas was what winter meant to me. I had some really good ones until I found out the truth about Santa Claus. But Christmas went on in spite of it all. After we took down the tree and all the decorations, I was ready for spring.
The light of the vision began to close out. There was no awakening of spring, only the hopes of a new beginning. Finally, the light was gone and I awoke from my sleep.
I was so tired; I took refuge under an overpass so I could get some sleep. It seemed like I had walked for miles. The sun was bright and the traffic was heavy. You would think with that many drivers on the road, someone would have stopped. I walked until the sun slowly set. I was tired and hungry. I figured I would stop at the next exit and get me something to eat. I walked a little further; I could see the exit sign ahead. The green and white sign beside the road read Exit 537, Daylight and Flatt Wood Road, Next Right. The day had almost passed me by and the blanket of night was slowly unveiling. As I neared the exit, I could see the lights from the small community of Daylight. There was a truck stop and restaurant just up ahead of me. As I was headed down the ramp, a car hit me, knocked me over the guardrail and down into a ditch. I laid there, not able to move. My legs were numb and my face was bloody. In the distance, I could hear sirens screaming. I lifted my head a slight and saw a car pulling over beside the guardrail with its flashers on. A woman got out and stood at the guardrail. I knew if I could just hold on for a few minutes more the ambulance would be there to help me. I slowly closed my eyes; a coldness had come over me. I took a deep breath and whispered, “I’m going to die.”