Day 2 June 6th 2009: South TN Border to Lula, Mississipi

I had the wierdest dreams last night. Gabrielle Union was on Top Chef and I met her at a party where she was diggin me. She told me she learned to cook on an aircraft carrier.
I left today at about 630 and entered Mississipi before 7. The road was smooth and empty. Even though 61 is a US highway I had it to myself.

I got to the casinos, thinking it was Tunica, only to find out Tunica is actually 14 miles further south. So I stopped at a gas station for a little 1/2 hour break. When I was outside laying underneath a tree, eating the left over of my spanish rice a janitor who had earlier asked me where I was coming from starts heading over to. Benny, insisted on giving me a grape Gatorade, a big bag of Doritos and and a big package of chocolate chip cookies. Why would a poor man like him spend no less than $5 on a complete stranger? I remembered that the world is filled with good good people, we only focus on the bad ones. I left there at about 10 AM and skated to Tunica where I stopped at the museum.

I sat on a bench outside to just catch my breath, but before I got up to go in an old lady came up to me and asked my story. Her name was Ethyl. She gave me a tour of the museum and when I got done, she told a man about my trip, and he said "Im all for it" Cool dude. She left me with him so we conversated. He gave me the best talk I had so far.

Richard was the curator, director and founder of Tunica museum. He was a Vietnam vet who did tactical airlift for the Air Force. He told me "not to quit, because a person is the sum of all their experiences". After the talk he asked me if I wanted to take a corner and sleep so I did for 1/2 hour. When I was about to leave he asked me to stay or to at least let him buy me lunch. I thanked him but said I had 20 more miles to cover.

Going through Tunica was easy but then headwind started to pick up and it made things so difficult. I had to stop for a break every 2 miles. I was losing hope until I saw a sign that said "See the light!, 12 miles to Lula" Ok not bad. The wind intesified and I became exhausted. I lost my willpower even though I was telling myself Im going to get to Lula. I threw all my shit to the side and collapsed down. Fuck it, Ill get a ride. A car pulled up and asked if I need a ride but for some reason I said no. I want to do this. I skated some more, then lost all hope. I ran out of water. I tried to get a car to give me a ride, but nobody would stop. I had to get to Lula, to get water. Before I knew it, there was a sign that said "Lula on right" down a sketchy little road.

Lula reminds me of Ghana, not because it was filled with poor black farmers but everybody came running out of their houses to ask what I was doing. I was a complete alien, just like the obruni i was in Ghana. Everyone was so friendly and chilling outside their houses. Everybody knew everybody. One kid asked me if I needed money, so he went to ask his mother for $20. They kept bringing me water and I ended up with 6 bottles. I went to the local park where all the kids gathered. I played a game of Uno with them but I was so exhausted. I had to go to sleep. I covered more than 40 miles. Their noise didn't keep me awake, it brought me comfort