Amazing Adventures of a Nobody by Leon Logothetis

Author:Leon Logothetis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adventure, travel, money, transformation, burnout, los angeles times, leon logothetis
Publisher: Bettie Youngs Book Publishing Co.

8

The Good People

of Galesburg

A man travels the world over in search

of what he needs and returns home to find it.

—George Moore

The train ride to Galesburg was uneventful. The few passengers slept or read, leaving me to my own devices. Illinois is beautiful place. The land is flat, but the trees and rivers seem to work together to make the most of an unimaginative topography. It was a peaceful journey, and as I’d felt in Chicago, there was so much to be gained by having no monetary obligations. The sense of freedom had settled on me.

Upon reaching Galesburg, I asked a railway employee where the mayor’s office was. I had a plan. While on the train I realized that I’d had no interaction with the famous American political system. The great democratic government that has inspired the world was still unknown to me (save my uncomfortable interactions with the police). So I was off to ask the mayor of this leafy midwestern town if he would put me up for the night. It sounded like a good idea at the time. It turned out to be not such a good idea.

I stopped at what I thought was the mayor’s office.

“G’day, friend! Can I speak with the mayor?” I asked.

“The mayor? The mayor doesn’t have an office at police headquarters.”

Jesus. The police. Again.

“Simple mistake. How about I speak with the chief of police then?” I asked.

“What business do you have with the chief?” the policeman behind the counter snarled. Then he noticed the microphone on my lapel.

“Is that a microphone?” he asked sharply. “Are you recording this conversation?”

“No, of course not!”

“Then why do you have a microphone on?”

“Oh, it’s not on.” Actually, it was on. I don’t know why I said it wasn’t. But it was too late. I then tried charming him by explaining my journey and that I was on a mission to gauge the kindness of strangers. He was completely uninterested and kept on about the fact that I was taping him.

“Listen, boy, if you are taping this conversation we will have a problem!”

What is it about American law enforcement personnel and the propensity to use the word boy? With a quick apology, I left the station, hoping he wouldn’t follow. He didn’t. Just as I walked out of the police building, I was stopped by two black guys and a girl. One of them had just been released from the station and had overheard what happened with the policeman.

“Where you from, man?” the taller guy asked.

“London, but I am on my way to the Hollywood sign.”

“I heard what was going on with the cop. You can’t mess with these dudes! They don’t got no soul!”

“Yeah, he didn’t seem too pleased with me, but what the hell ...”

The guy wanted to make up for my unpleasant experience with the policeman and offered to buy me some food—an offer I never refused. In minutes I was presented with a cheeseburger and fries, courtesy of Dre and a buddy of his who had just arrived at the deli we had entered.

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