This morning I was on the bike at 7:00 am, feeling much better. Stopped for an ice tea break after 2.5 hours of riding in Naranja, Florida which is just north of Homestead.
I was glad to be out of the morning traffic in Miami. There was a bike trail that I was on most of the way, but at every intersection I was on high alert because of the heavy traffic. People driving past me were putting on make-up or talking on cell phones or - yes, even making out - completely oblivious to pedestrians and bicyclists.
There were lots of homeless people too. Sad. Sleeping out in the open on a piece of cardboard surrounded by a few bags of possessions.
I've been pretty blessed in my life.
This is a McDonnell F-4D Phantom located along Highway 1 South entering Homestead, Florida. There is an US Air Force Air Reserve Base in Homestead.
I cycled further into Homestead along US1 South and saw another cyclist with loaded panniers, stopped near a bus shelter. Below is former USMC Gunnery Sargent James Steele. He was in the middle of his own healing journey...
The sign on the back of his bike says "Ride for Roy - USMC. Need Help." Gunnery Sargent Roy P. Wilson was part of the Warlords Unit of Operation Enduring Freedom. Roy was Jame's brother (different father). James proceeded to tell me that Roy had been literally cut in half by a 50 calibre round from friendly fire. Roy survived the devastating injury and came home with a colostomy bag and urine bag, his body missing below his umbilicus. James went on to explain that Roy's injury resulted in a divorce and estrangement from his children. Roy said that James had called him over to visit him on the day he died.
"Did you ever see that look in someone's eyes when they are near death. It's like they are there but not there. Roy said to me, 'let's go for one more ride." James and Roy went on long bicycle rides in their Austin hometown when they were younger, before the Corp. and war changed their lives forever.
"He died 9 months ago and I knew that I had to go on this ride in his memory. I rode from Austin to Mile 0 in Key West. Roy went on to his Mile 0. I got to the Mile 0 marker along this highway and put my hand on it for him."
"James, I'll be going to Key West and I'll touch the Mile 0 marker too, in honour of you and Roy."
The back of James shirt states, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
James clearly needed help. I asked him if I could buy him lunch. We walked our bikes to a nearby Ruby Tuesdays restaurant. As we waited for a table I asked James about his Marine Corp. service.
"I did some things that I'm ashamed of. I did them because I was ordered to. Follow orders or go to Levenworth. I gunned down men, women and children. I would go to their bodies and tell them how sorry I was and say a prayer asking their forgiveness and asking God to forgive me."
Once seated at the restaurant I asked James if he had any family. He told me that around the time he left the Marine Corp. his wife drove the car that he had given her as a gift into a large tree at 125 miles per hour killing herself and their two children, aged 10 and 12. Tears spilled from his eyes as he related the incident to me. "They never figured out if it was suicide or car trouble. There was no skid marks and no other cars involved."
He also told me that he was diabetic. I asked him if he was Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. He said he was a Type 1 Diabetic. I then asked him when he became diabetic. He said 4 years ago. Hmmm. Most diabetics are well versed on the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Most adult onset diabetes is Type 2. At 53 years old I doubt he became a Type 1 Diabetic 4 years ago.
I studied James blue eyes. Without my asking, he offered, "My eyes are like this, permanently red because of blast burns from firing that gun too many times."
To me his eyes looked like those of an alcoholic. Was anything that he told me true? If everything that this guy told me is true, he has seen his share of tragedy. If he was not telling me the truth, he had unloaded every whopper in his repertoire.
I asked him if I could say grace before we ate. James told me that he was a Southern Baptist. We spoke about Jesus unconditional love and forgiveness. He went on to recite John 3:16-17 verbatim to me, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Hm might be saved."
James went on to tell me about another biblical passage that meant a lot to him. He spoke of Jesus telling the men who wanted to stone the woman to death for her sin and asked those gathered, "Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone."
Before writing this blog tonight, I spent some time Googling his name and the name of his brother Roy. Nothing. This still doesn't mean that he filled me with lies though. A lot of Vets drop off the map and have nightmarish tales to relate of their service and of their lives after their service. Regardless I gave a guy in need a meal and handed him $25 as he supposedly trekked north along Highway 1 toward Highway 60 West and then back to Texas. Alcohol is cheap in Florida... I may have enabled an alcoholic to go on a good ol' bender.
I know the slow unfolding of my life to lead to this healing journey. I have no doubt about God's hand in it all.
If James is an alcoholic, maybe he is using the booze to numb his pain over something... maybe his healing journey is really about to start. He's in God's hands and can be graced by healing at any time.
Highway 1 through marshland between Homestead and Key Largo. Chain link fence was on either side of the divided highway, presumably to keep Crocs and Gators from wandering on the roadway.
I expected the sign to say Alligator Crossing, but apparently this area is known for the freshwater Florida Crocodiles (Crocodylus Acutus). The water west of the Keys is brackish, a mix of salt water and fresh water, and warm providing an ideal habitat for the Crocs. I was on the lookout for Crocs but didn't see any.
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