hey, what's the big idea?

My brother David recently wondered what this blog was about. Well, it's about a specific project called Kevin's Walk, but the walk doesn't actually begin until late May, so I have some time to muck around, give my tiny readership a chance to get to know me, and basically lay the groundwork for what's to come. Don't be surprised if you see posts about politics, religion, fart humor, and whatever else comes to mind. Once the walk begins, the blog will snap into focus, but in the meantime, just sit back, settle in, and enjoy the meanderings.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

[NB: Please check out this What's the Big Idea? post before reading what follows.]

What would a typical Kevin's Walk day look like from your perspective? Well, let's suppose you're a member of a religious community-- say, a Presbyterian who knows I'm arriving. Let's further assume today's Monday, though I suppose the day of the week doesn't matter much if we've made arrangements beforehand. The schedule might look something like this:

4:30PM: Kevin arrives, bedraggled and sweaty, at the church or at the residence of a church member. (This will have been decided in advance.)

4:35PM: Kevin greets whoever's there to greet him; round of handshakes, photos taken, polite silence regarding the stink doubtless wafting off Kevin's body. Kevin broaches the uncomfortable subject by asking where he can shower and change his clothes. A volunteer says, "We've arranged for you to go to the Jones family's house; you can shower there now and come back here, to the church, and then you'll spend the night at the family's residence." Kevin offers his thanks.

4:35-5:30PM: Kevin walks over to the Jones's place (no vehicles for Kevin unless he's seriously injured!), sets down his backpack, showers, rinses out his clothes, puts on a clean set of clothing, and announces he's ready to walk back to the church (or to stay there and have the talk).

5:35-7:30PM: Dinner (optional; giving food to Kevin is ALWAYS optional) and religion-talk at or near the church (or at the Jones's place), which will be recorded (possibly transcribed later, or the sound/video file will simply be uploaded).

7:35PM: Kevin discusses his next destination with the people he's been talking to. This might involve the use of Google Earth or Google Maps or something more old-school. The end result is that Kevin will have a physical set of directions describing a PLAUSIBLE and LEGAL walking route to his next waypoint.

9PM: Kevin will be at the Jones's place, using their computer (if they have a decent one) for the next 1.5 to 2 hours to upload photos and blog some brief insights.

11:15PM: Kevin will sleep wherever he's been told to sleep.

6:15AM: Kevin wakes up, brushes his teeth and performs other morning necessaries, collects the clothes that will have dried, packs his gear, thanks the Joneses, and heads off to his next destination by 7:15AM.

Comments: This routine can vary, of course. If I arrive somewhere later than anticipated, for example, this might necessitate a rescheduling of activities. If it turns out I have to stay in a certain area for more than one night, I'm not against staying at different residences so as to distribute the burden of caring for me among several people/families. I might also say "yes" to hanging around in a certain area to earn some extra cash for my trip. Other factors that might vary include food, sleep location (someone might prefer that I camp in their yard rather than enter the house), places to hold the religion talk, etc. I might end up needing several days to walk to a given destination, which means I'll be camping. Nothing is written in stone.



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