Oklahoma!

Movie made in 1955 (year I was born!)

I'm headed to Oklahoma on Friday morning. Gotta get up at 4:00 AM! I'm going to hear the stories of martyrs in repressive countries, who risk everything for their faith in Christ.

This reminds me of heading for Oklahoma in 2006. I had sold my house and loaded up my car, including my two cats. I already began a manic episode and was delusional, even as I finished the details of the closing on the house. Somehow I was still able to do everything necessary to finish.

I had a new Prius, and the car was packed to the gills, including a cushy shredded foam filled futon for sleeping in the car if necessary. I simply headed South as I wanted to go to New Mexico. I got to Oklahoma and found a rest area with showers that truckers can rent. I planned to use the showers but decided to take a long rest first.

Across the highway I "squatted" in an abandoned ranch. It was completely empty except for a barn with some hay left in it. I parked behind the barn and put my army cot and bed inside the barn and put my cats in there. I went to the convenience store and got food, came back and ate in the barn. It was a good rest. Towards evening, after going and taking a shower, I packed up my things, took my cats and headed South for Oklahoma City, and got a room in a beautiful Embassy Suites hotel. Once settled in, I realized that I had left my cat Bonita back at the barn. I had to travel in the night all the way back to the barn. There she was, with her kitten meow, walking on the premises of the barn like the good kitty she was, never straying from any place we went. I got her back!

In Oklahoma City I called my mother. She knew a pastor in the area of a church connected to the denomination that my parents belong to. I called him as we were nearing Easter. It was good Friday. I planned to go visit his church on good Friday, but my manic state was getting worse and I couldn't exactly navigate to get to his church.

After a couple nights in Oklahoma City, I headed out and picked up a hitchhiker. Now you know I'm delusional. I would never do that. When I became uncomfortable with him in the car, I wanted to drop him off at the first stop I could find and he got mad and started to punch my face. I finally was able to find a stop to drop him off at, and then I came to a rest stop and asked a lady there for help. I told her I had been beaten and she was sympathetic. I told her I needed a place to stay and she directed me to the motel where I last stayed before my accident. I drove to the motel. It was near Fort Worth. My manic state worsened. I stayed the night and the next morning is when I left Bonita in the motel and went out and had the accident with my car.

That morning was Easter. On Easter, 2006, I flipped my car and landed in a Texan hospital - it was the perfect satanic attack on my hopes and dreams.

The good thing was that my uncle just happened to have one of his apartments in Fort Worth - he's a doctor, so he could drive there and help me out. He got me out of the hospital and on the plane back to Minneapolis.

So now I'm going back to Oklahoma - dry, brownish terrain. Not a desert. It's like Minnesota only not lush and green.