listen to your parents

Once again in the country town of 5,000 peeps how could you not resist the urge to be more trustworthy to those around you unlike the overpowering shadiness of the Goliath cities were "you're getting shot while you're getting shot". I developed this habit of hitch hiking in Wyoming. I would often use my best friend's bike to get around. On scattered occasions however, I would fancy a walk which would usually be 5 miles worth to and fro where I needed to get to. I have met some of the most interesting people through riding shotgun with these fellow citizens. Some had huge plans, others where just living the simpler life. I always knew that this was dangerous but it never occured to me just how LIFE THREATENING it could be until one night I was trying to get home in a timely manner. It was all the way from downtown to a ranch neighborhood maybe 6 miles out. I was walking and decided to go inside a gas station to ask if anyone was heading south. One guy said he would've been glad to but wanted to see a movie. So I continued by foot for maybe a hundred meters or so until he showed up and mentioned how he already missed the previews and it wasn't worth it to see it. So I hopped in and we were on our way. He seemed somewhat a straight edge guy. His hair was a little overgrown. Some Metallica was playing on the radio and he was a talker. He went on about his family, the "conspiracy", the tax dollars being used to purchase all the bars of soap in America - EVERYTHING. Lastly, he mentioned how I was a nice guy mostly because I was not drunk or crazy. He related this story to me about a man he picked on the road and started to gripe about how much the hitch hiker pissed him off. He said he was throwing up and swearing at him. The driver then re-enacted how he shouted at the passenger by shouting at me. He then turned on the cab light and turned his head and verbatim shouted at me like I was that passenger. I knew that he was acting out the moment to show me what he said to the guy, but part of my imagination was thinking; "What if he is straight up nuts. You might have to open the door and jump out, because there is no telling what he might do." As he was acting out, I slowly slid my hand near the handle ready to eject and tuck and roll. He finished his angry monologue and then laughed about it. I faintly broke a smile then asked to be let out. "Are you sure?" "Oh positive! Yeah, yeah, yeah, just right here.", "Alright man, you take care of yourself." He takes off into the open dark of the night as I still have 3 miles to go. I was alive though. Never again.