Thumbs Up

Over Labor Day weekend I went up to Idaho Falls to visit some friends that I don't get to see much of. It was a good time. As I was getting on the freeway there was a fairly young guy hitchhiking on on ramp. I don't know what over took me but I decided to give him a ride. I asked him where he was going. He said Salt Lake City. Ha! Too funny because I was going there too. I actually had made plans to stop in Pocatello and have lunch with a buddy. I told him that I could take him that far.

The guy, Tony, was kind of a granola type. He calls West Yellowstone home but is originally from Pennsylvania. He's 24 and works with some foundation trying to protect the buffalo who wonder off in Montana and end up getting shot by ranchers. He was definitely lives life differently than I prefer. He hadn't had a cell phone in several years and from the smell I was guessing that showering wasn't all the common either. I was pleased that I only had to put up with that for less than an hour.

It definitely was an education for me. I got to ask him about hitchhiking and what its like. And the best part is that he wasn't some psycho killer. I'm not sure that I'll rush right out to pick up another hitchhiker but I think I might give it a second thought before just dismissing the idea.