If asked today what is the one thing I am grateful for, and as sure as I sit here only beginning my Saturday morning and not knowing what my day will bring, it WILL be that you shared Charley through the eyes of your soul with us. Perhaps one can only romanticize getting out of dodge and away from the harsh realities of our lives (I know I do), and might not have the fortitude or courage to live as Charley, but for 11 minutes today, I felt that freedom with every fiber of my being. Thank you!
This is one of the most inspiring pieces I’ve read about the longing to be free “on the road…”. The romanticizing was clear but irrelevant - it captured the deepest eternal longing many of us have. As a woman, now long past any sense of prime time, it made me think of buying that camper i dream about and hitting the road. Keep it up Erik…you are channeling the true greats.
I agree with Ulrich ... "beautiful, moving, inspiring". Thank you, Erik. But I was hoping for a link. I would gladly become one of Charley's subscribers.
This is so heart warming to read. Nature is it for me as well. I'm dying in the fast-paced, material world. My garden is my therapy for now. Its wondrous ability to produce beauty is endless. Thank for sharing this very important story. I know so many others will be touched deeply by reading it. ❤️
Couldn’t put it down. Prose akin to poetry, storytelling at its best. You and Charley sing to my heart and chant to my soul: Hell yes! Hell yes! Hell yes!
SAGE WISDOM: “It’s through opening ourselves up to the sublime that we learn to live in the spirit.” Erik, if ever you publish a collection of Poetic Outlaws posts, please include this one.
If asked today what is the one thing I am grateful for, and as sure as I sit here only beginning my Saturday morning and not knowing what my day will bring, it WILL be that you shared Charley through the eyes of your soul with us. Perhaps one can only romanticize getting out of dodge and away from the harsh realities of our lives (I know I do), and might not have the fortitude or courage to live as Charley, but for 11 minutes today, I felt that freedom with every fiber of my being. Thank you!
This is one of the most inspiring pieces I’ve read about the longing to be free “on the road…”. The romanticizing was clear but irrelevant - it captured the deepest eternal longing many of us have. As a woman, now long past any sense of prime time, it made me think of buying that camper i dream about and hitting the road. Keep it up Erik…you are channeling the true greats.
This was absolutely breathtaking. I mean, I think I really held my breath while reading. Beautiful, moving, inspiring. Thank you!
This is exactly what I needed to read this morning after a long week of being anchored to an office desk..
Thought you might like this.
Lonesome Wheels
I don't know why, I just know the road
Like a lover, keeps leading me on
I been rolling up nights after days
Til the sunset looks just like the dawn
Lonesome Wheels keep turning
The road's a lesson I'm still learning
My head is knocking my heart's burning
Lonesome Wheels keep turning
Passing through places with strange fleeting faces. I only stop to keep on going
In the hands of my fate the truth is revealed
I can only read the cards that are showing.
Lonesome Wheels keep turning
The road's a lesson I'm still learning
My head is knocking my heart's burning
Lonesome Wheels keep turning
I don't live in the future I don't live in the past
Roll on, roll on
And I'm driving each day like it might be my last
Roll on, roll on
Watching the dials, drinking coffee and miles
White lines dancing on the road
I been taking each turn as it comes
But where I'll end up heaven knows
Lonesome Wheels keep turning
The road's a lesson I'm still learning
My head is knocking my heart's burning
Lonesome Wheels keep turning
https://youtu.be/UNJ-ZjaD_9Q?si=WeCDSakehiBgXZJB
As you said…”Hell yes!”. 🫶🏽
Truly uplifting.
I agree with Ulrich ... "beautiful, moving, inspiring". Thank you, Erik. But I was hoping for a link. I would gladly become one of Charley's subscribers.
Ah! This story touches on what we know to be true in our wandering souls! I love it!
That hit the spot. Thank you, and happy trails to you.
This is so heart warming to read. Nature is it for me as well. I'm dying in the fast-paced, material world. My garden is my therapy for now. Its wondrous ability to produce beauty is endless. Thank for sharing this very important story. I know so many others will be touched deeply by reading it. ❤️
Gwad Almighty, Erik!
You done gone and done
stirred just about every jealous
bone in my dinosaur head, body and tail.
What a mean thing to do,
escaping like that,
leaving me here stuck in Alabama’s largest city,
with only a small public park across the street,
where I can escape to
and sit on a park bench,
pull my baseball clap down over my closed eyes,
and wait on Mother Nature and her plants and creatures,
or Something,
to take me on a ride to a place
that feels like it has nothing to do
with my life or this planet,
quite wonderful, actually,
rejuvenating,
But, alas,
brief,
and I come back,
and I’m maybe too old, ailing,
afraid to do
what you did,
yet it hurts my feelings
that you called me out,
because I’m too chicken,
or maybe it’s just not my time,
but I have been thinking about
heading down to a state park
south of Birmingham,
which has rental cabins
by an old lake built during the Great Depression,
where I spent a night once with my daughters and girlfriend,
and hang out there for a few days, alone,
wishing that old girlfriend was with me,
oh my Gwad,
our passion was not of this world,
but she was a lot younger,
I was really messed up,
and she found a young guy
that suited her really good,
and went on and had my own life,
which was not like anything
my wildest dreams ever could have imagined,
in the thick of things,
in cities, mostly,
yet still, you have made me jealous,
as has the Jedi you met,
Oh, my Gawd,
what do ya think were the Las Vegas odds
of ya meeting him?
Maybe zero?
But the God odds were 100 fucking percent :-)
Couldn’t put it down. Prose akin to poetry, storytelling at its best. You and Charley sing to my heart and chant to my soul: Hell yes! Hell yes! Hell yes!
Inspiring and engaging from beginning to end. There wasn't a moment I was bored. A much needed and exciting read to start off the weekend!
One more great Rittenberry.
That’s dialogue I needed and asked for. Thankfully, I couldn’t stop reading.
More please.
SAGE WISDOM: “It’s through opening ourselves up to the sublime that we learn to live in the spirit.” Erik, if ever you publish a collection of Poetic Outlaws posts, please include this one.