| The Absolute Write Road Trip Adventure |
[Feb. 11th, 2008|08:44 am] |
A follow-up to my post from the other day...
It all began last week, on Tuesday night, when a bunch of vicious storms ripped through parts of Tennessee. People were killed, there was devastation everywhere, and the destruction was horrifying. On Wednesday morning, I logged on to Absolute Write and learned that one of our own, NerdsRUs, had been caught up in the path of the storms. Nerds was safe but scared, and wanted nothing more than to get back to her home state on the east coast. Unfortunately, she didn't have a car, and flying or taking the bus or train was out of the question, because she has two cats she couldn't leave behind.
Almost immediately, the AW community mobilized, asking, "What can we do to help?" Jason stepped right up, offering to pick Nerds up in western TN and take her some of the way home, if other drivers could do the same. A few folks send him messages, and pretty soon the entire operation takes on a military-precision quality, coordinated by Jason. Meanwhile, those who can't offer to drive begin making Paypal donations to cover things like gas and other expenses that Nerds might incur. Jason posts a map, and mentions that his part of the trip puts him on the road for something like 36 hours. This is where I step in, and point out that if he can get Nerds to Columbus, I can take her to Sara in Pennsylvania, and in the process shave about eight to ten hours off his drivetime. The new map is posted. All comes together like clockwork, many emails and text messages sent, and sure enough, on Friday morning Jason leaves his home in southern Georgia and heads to Tennessee. He collects Nerds (and her son Kevin, and her two kitties) in the middle of the afternoon, and heads for Ohio. Finally, around 130 am, they arrive at my house. They're tired, but everyone's safe, and we all crash out.
Now, while all this is going on, the folks at AW are following along in real time. People are literally hitting "refresh" every ten minutes to check the thread for updates to what's going on. Paypal donations are still rolling in to assist with funding for the mission, and all kinds of stuff is happening. Despite a slight thread derailment about the fact that NOTHING rhymes with Connecticut, Jay (III) begins to write a song, lots of silly graphics appear, Trish starts up a gift basket, and Kevin puts together the beginnings of a very moving poem. While I'm at work Friday night, no less than half a dozen emails arrive in my in-box, asking "Are they there yet?" It's that sort of community -- it's one where people worry and care and stay up all night for one another. Few of us have ever met in person and yet we have a bond, the sort that makes us jump up and say that we'll help out, without even thinking twice, when someone needs it.
Saturday morning, the sun rises and I make breakfast for our weary travelers. My son thinks this is all very exciting and mysterious, what with strangers arriving in the middle of the night from a storm-ravaged place far away. My girls miss out on the fun, both of them having spent the night sleeping at friends' homes. We all have breakfast together, and before long we're chatting like we've known each other for years. Jason is absolutely hilarious, and is the kind of guy who just makes you feel safe. I can't think of anyone more perfect for being Nerds' first transporter on this road trip. Nerds herself is still a bit dazed and confused by everything that's happened in the past few days, but she's sweet and friendly and extremely cooperative -- I probably could have gotten her to drywall my basement for me if I had just asked, she was so darn agreeable. We take a few pictures, I admire Jason's Toyota Scion and all his gizmos and gadgets, and soon enough we're on the road. Lots of hugs exchanged all around.
That's Kevin on the left, Nerds (Laurel), my son Zac, Jason, and me. 
Jason heads back to Georgia, and I drive east with Nerds & Son. We have nothing but blue skies and sunshine as we travel, despite the fact that Sara has texted me with a message that there's snow -- a LOT of snow -- near Altoona, which is where we'll be making the drop-off. Nerds is worried that we might be in for bad driving conditions, but I don't sweat it -- I drive in snow every year, so it would take a hell of a lot for me to pull off the road and wait it out. The highway gets hilly, the mountains appear, and the ride is full of amazing vistas off in the distance. We talk about all kinds of things, I admire the cats (who were the best behaved traveling cats I've ever encountered), and before we know it, we're in Altoona. We land at the Panera on I-99, which is where we're to meet Sara, half an hour early, so we dig in for lunch. A few minutes after 2:00, Sara and her sister arrive, and she's warm and funny and we have a great time. We hang out for a while, just because we're having fun. In fact, Sara and I determine that Tom Cruise is actually the Burger King Chicken. We probably should not ever be allowed to drink together.
There's Sara, Nerds, me and Kevin at Panera. I'm sure the locals thought we were odd.
We part ways, lots more hugs for everyone, and I head back to Columbus. I call Caitlin, and ask her to update the folks at AW, because I know they worry. In fact, they'll worry until every single one of us is home safe, and that's why I love these people so much. I have clear sailing all the way back, and spot a huge brilliant rainbow in the rearview mirror. By the time I can pull over to take a picture, though, it's gone. I stop in West Virginia to use a restroom and learn that the Welcome Center closes at 5:00, so apparently people who have to pee must do so before 5:00. I land in my driveway around 7:45 pm. Jason arrives home shortly afterwards, and instantly cobbs together a video of his part of the ride -- I'll never hear "Sister Christian" quite the same way again. Meanwhile, Jay III sets Kevin's poem to music, and actually begins recording it as a song. It's entitled "The Flight" and is on his MySpace page. It's actually quite good.
Over the course of the next 24 hours, Sara gets Nerds deposited in a hotel in Allentown, PA, and then Trish picks them up and takes them to a friend's in Massachusetts, where they'll stay until they can find an apartment. By 5:15 Sunday afternoon, Nerds is home again. Sara and Trish both make it home safely too.
For anyone who has a couple of hours to kill, the entire thread, complete with derailments, is here: URGENT: Help Needed.
Within just a few short days, not only did all of this take place, but hundreds of people tuned in online to see it transpire. They worried about us, they supported us, and they told us how much they cared. Simply because a community exists online rather than "in real life" doesn't make it any less of a community -- it's merely a different kind. We had never met each other, but not one of us hesitated to step in when one of our own needed assistance. It's a group I am truly honored to be part of, and I am proud to call every single one of them my friends.
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