Walk for Peace

Back in 2019 I rode from Northern Indiana to California. It was a difficult ride, but a scenic one. Route 66 has all sorts of roadside attractions from its days as the pre-interstate road from Chicago to Los Angeles. Most of these things were inanimate. The weirdest one was human: near Eureka, Missouri I came upon a Chicago-bound Thai Buddhist monk wearing a straw cowboy hat. His name was Sutham Nateetong and his walk was intended to inspire world peace. (Apparently he continued on to New York City.)

I didn’t stop or take a picture of him, something I have always regretted. As slow, long-distance travelers, Cowboy Hat Monk and I are kindred spirits. Despite the hills, heat, and humidity, Cowboy Hat Monk was all smiles. I tend to bitch and moan. I’ve got some work to do on my equanimity. By the time I saw him he had walked over 1,500 miles.

Yesterday, a group of Buddhist monks continued their 2,300 mile Walk for Peace, passing a half mile from my house on their way to Washington, DC. There are something like 19 to 24 monks walking (online reports vary). They began in Fort Worth Texas in October, walking through seven states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Unlike my solo walker in Missouri, this group has a support crew and they have very much needed it. At one point one of their support vehicles was hit in a crash. One monk was severely injured and had to have his leg amputated. According to yesterday’s online posts, the leader of the group has been sick for a few days, but apparently continues to walk.

They have encountered brutal winter weather for the last month on their way through the South. A couple of days ago they walked through sub-zero wind chills with winds gusting up to 60 mile per hour. Unreal. Yesterday temperatures were in the 20s (F) and still they walked, with determination on their faces. If they were in discomfort they did a good job of hiding it. They must be proud of the fact that tens of thousands of people have come out to witness their trek.

Today they walked on the unplowed, icy Mount Vernon Trail as well as streets from Mount Vernon to Marymount University in North Arlington. Tomorrow they will walk on streets down a steep grade to the Potomac River before hiking back uphill to an event at the National Cathedral. They’ll end their day with at George Washington University. On Wednesday they will participate in several events in DC. On Thursday they’ll go to the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis for the end of their journey.