Day 20 Dickson - Tennesse

just a short ride 0f 45 miles today as i took advantage of the nightlife in Nashville, and the 12 o'clock check out at the hotel.Quite a pleasant ride out of town, very quickly in the suburbs, i wanted to make sure i didn't miss a turn, but whenever i stopped to check my progress, before i was able to open my map book, a car would pull up next to me, to ask if i needed any help, which was nice, its just that for a change i wasn't actually lost, i was just trying to make sure i didn't end up that way! It got so that i had the feeling, i would have to 'sneak' off some where just to take a look at the map. At one time i had pulled up to the side by some traffic lights, next to a railway line, after i had reassured myself, and i was putting the map away i could hear someone shouting, i looked up and around in puzzlement, and saw that a woman had obviously passed by me and turned right over the rail crossing, where she had parked her car, and was standing next to it shouting through cupped hands ''Do you need directions?''. But the most bizarre one, was the woman who slowed down to interview me as we traveled along, with her shouting at me through her open passenger window, whilst keeping an eye on the road ahead and the other cars that were having to slow down and change lanes, to go around her, as i pumped up and down on the pedals and sweated, now and then blowing upwards sharply at a drop of sweat that had formed on the end of my nose, and sending it flying upwards in an ark in front of me. ''What are you doing?'' she asked, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Suppressing the urge to 'state the bleedin' obvious' i modified it to ''I'm riding to the West Coast''. The conversation then followed a usual pattern, of smiler encounters i have had, with the ''thats Amazing'' count increasing, as i divulge more and more information, it was just that i haven't done it 'on the move' before. We finally got to the point where, with nearly everyone that i have meet, they look into the middle distance, as they process all of the facts, and then ask, in one form or another, ''But how do you afford it? - how do you live? - what do you do? - how do you get that much time off work?''. A question that i, as a brit would never ask so soon in a relationship, but i think it is a good insight into the American mind set that they do not consider it 'impolite' ask, i think it is to do with the whole work ethic and 'in your face' lifestyle of this country, work hard for big rewards, and when you've got 'em flaunt 'em. They listen to what i am doing, and assume that i must be 'independently wealthy' to do this, which is far from the truth. Having extracted all the information she wanted, whilst risking both of our lives,and possibly a few others as well, we said our 'Goodbyes', and off we both went, she in her car, and me back to my thoughts, recounting the incident, and thinking about other things i could have said to her. Several minutes, and a few miles later, she reappears next to me, from where i don't know, ''I forgot to ask you,What's your name?, so i can tell everyone that i've meet you when you are famous''. With a shake of my head in disbelief,and a smile i tell her, and because everyone has trouble with my 'unusual' name i spell it s well, satisfied, she introduces herself as Stephanie, and is of again, leaving me yet again smiling to myself.

When you are Famous