Profiles in Courage—Encounters with Great People on the Highway of Life—Christopher Lee Smith
My meeting with a man on a mission to see America on his touring bike, while living simply and trusting in God and the kindness of strangers on his 14,000 mile journey.
Photo Credit: Chinmayn
A few evenings ago, I was heading home after a hard afternoon’s work harvesting firewood, as the leading edge of a major rainstorm reached us with waves of gentle rain which would become a torrential deluge during the night. I was dead tired and hungry from many hours of hard work and all I could think of was getting back to my little house on Still Mountain to share a meal with my friend Ani.
As I pulled off the freeway exit’s off ramp and turned toward our little town, I stopped under the freeway overpass to check my phone’s texts. I noticed what seemed to be homeless man sitting with a bike and his worldly possessions in a pile near my truck. After responding to my texts, my inner guide suggested that I get out and go speak to him.
As I walked up to him, my heart went out to his situation of huddling under the overpass to find shelter from the storm, covered in blankets and an improvised rain coat made of trash bags.
One of my own spiritual practices that I learned from my teachers as an absolute necessity on the path of transformation is to be generous, to be kind and compassionate and to do as much good for others as possible every day. Kalu Rinpoche would often say that “every opportunity that we get to be of service to others, especially those in need, should be seen as a precious gift to be grateful for.”
After introducing myself, he told me that his name was Christopher and that he was on a long journey across America on his bike. I greeted him as if he were my long lost brother and asked him if he needed anything. He replied that something to eat would be greatly appreciated. As I looked into his eyes, I saw another human being in need but also a beautiful man at peace with himself and his situation. I immediately set aside my own self centered concerns and took up this opportunity to be of service.
I told him that I didn’t have anything with me to give him, but that I would be very happy to go get him some hot food. Later I learned that he had been riding his bike south all day and had taken this shelter when it started to get dark and rain started falling. He told me he wasn’t going anywhere til morning, so I promised to come back as soon as I could.
Image Credit: Chinmayan
I called Ani, who like me, loves to help anyone who needs it who crosses our path. We discussed what we could do to help Christopher, and Ani offered to pull together a few necessities for him while I focused on getting him a hot meal.
I personally know very well what it is like to be traveling hungry on limited resources, as I had hitchhiked cross country a few times as a young hippie out to see the world. These experiences gave me lifelong respect for anyone who launches out on long travels with very humble belongings along with the audacity and courage it takes to follow a dream burning in their heart.
I went to a drive through where I could get a big heavy bag of giant hamburgers and tacos, along with steaming mugs of hot coffee quickly. Ani met me in the parking lot with a nice umbrella, new gloves and pairs of thick socks, a box of trash bags, napkins and bottles of water along with some cash.
As much as we would have loved to offer him a warm, dry place to stay on Still Mountain to escape being out in the storm and rain, we are simply not set up to do that yet. I drove back to the overpass with my own hunger and tiredness completely forgotten as the pure joy that comes with any act of selfless kindness and caring surged through my soul.
Christopher’s eyes lit up to see me returning, as he had not been trying to attract anyone’s help but was touched and delighted that we were doing what we could to provide at least a little comfort to him. We never appreciate hot food as much as when we have faced being hungry without it and suddenly have good food to fill our belly.
When Ram Das asked Neem Karoli Baba “What is the quickest way to realize God?” Baba replied “Feed people who are hungry.”
As Christopher ate, I asked him about his story. He is not a homeless person after all. He is a young man who decided to spend the winter traveling all over America to visit the many beautiful national parks such as the Grand Canyon and others that he had always wanted to see.
Image credit: Chinmayan
He had saved up to buy a high quality touring bike to be his home and transportation, and told me that since he had left his home in Buffalo, New York at the end of October 2022, he had traveled 6891 miles so far, most of it on small state highways or back roads.
He took his time over those four months to visit every place that he had long wanted to visit, while winter was happening back home. He told me “Back home, they got almost 7 feet of snow in a blizzard at the end of December in the one of the worst cold spells in history, while I was pedaling up the coast of California to see the giant redwoods.”
His plan now is to cross America going east at a relaxed pace on Highway 20 all the way to arrive back home by spring, relying solely on the kindness of strangers. He said, “all I really need is folks to provide me with food on the open road and God will take care of the rest.” When I told him I was going to write a story about him and his epic adventure, he said “Just ask folks to be on the look out for me on Highway 20 if they’d like to help…” and I told him I certainly would.
He doesn’t have a phone, but gave me permission to publish his picture so you all can see what he looks like. I told him I saw him as a great and beautiful man and respected him for following his dream, just as Peace Pilgrim did for many years.
He proudly gave me his full name, Christopher Lee Smith, and his home address…in case any of my readers would like to send him a donation in support of his cause, you can email me at innerresourceinstitute@gmail.com and I will provide that info to you.
Meanwhile, I am writing this story because meeting this humble man on his mission across America touched me deeply and I am very grateful for the opportunity he gave us to be of service.
Image Credit: Inner Resource Institute’s Still Mountain Meditation Center
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