Page 89 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000

Only our vast apologies at having to use his recently cleaned

facilities and the appearance of a new audience released us from
this very loquacious and delightful Midwesterner.

Our interactions with other folks in the upper Midwest have of
course, been superficial and brief. There has been a predictably

consistent behavior pattern worth mentioning: the meetings on
the walking/hiking trails.

I believe I mentioned that the people in North Dakota were

reserved. I had stood across from individuals filling their gas tanks,

not 5 feet from me, without as much as a glance: much less a,
“Good Morning”. At 6:00 AM and with no other people in sight,

that always felt peculiar. Any attempt at superficial comment on
my part was usually met with a baleful look and a mumbled,

indiscernible reply. I learned my lesson, “We don’t take up
conversation with strangers here”, and thereafter kept a respectful

verbal distance.

Meeting people on the trails (short paved walks or longer hiking

trails) was also disconcerting at first. No one would make eye
contact or use any body language to admit we were right there in

front of them. In groups, they would continue to talk among
themselves but not one of them would look in our direction as

they passed. We tried the usual, “Hi”, “Good Morning”, “ Good
Afternoon” which did not make them change stride or even peer

in our direction.

I hate to say it, but Lois and I began to take this on as a challenge,

especially with the lone walker approaching. Picture a 4–foot wide
winding path in a sunlit forest. You have been walking for an hour,

seeing no one other than your walking companion. Then ahead

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