Tonight, I re-post this story about Freddy Kline... just what kind of man he was to me, and to so many others, even strangers... A Freddy Kline Story Just a couple of weeks before Freddy died, he met a man walking down the side of Highway 446 pushing a three-wheeled cart. Freddy stopped and asked him what his purpose was for his journey. Craig Jolly proceeded to tell Freddy that he got tired of teaching and needed a break. He decided to walk from the highest point on the East Coast to the highest point on the West Coast. Freddy asked him where he was going to stay and Craig replied that he hadn’t found a place to pitch his tent for the night. He was near Benoit, which Freddy knew well because he grew up there. He went on to tell Craig that he knew a beautiful spot that would be safe where he could pitch his tent for the night. After taking him to the spot, Freddy asked if he could bring his girlfriend, who was a writer, to meet him. Craig said that would be great. I was on my way home from work when the phone rang and it was Freddy asking me what I was doing and where I was. After telling him I was on my way home, he proceeded to tell me the short story about Craig. He asked me if I wanted to meet him. Of course I said yes. I asked Freddy if he wanted to pick me up at home or if he wanted me to meet him at the farm. He said to just meet him at a parking lot in Benoit. I went home and changed from my scrubs into jeans and my cowboy boots and left for Benoit. When I pulled up, I waited a few minutes for Freddy to arrive. He drove up in his truck. As I climbed in, I saw three styrofoam containers sitting on the console. I asked what he had been up to, knowing that he was his ever-thoughtful self and had picked up food for the three of us. He had gotten fried fish, chicken and shrimp with hush puppies. Craig had told Freddy he was living off of ramen noodles and peanut butter. We drove to where Craig had pitched his tent and gave him his food as he pulled up a couple of buckets for us to sit on. We sat for about an hour, eating our dinner and listening to Craig’s stories of having already walked seven hundred miles. It was intriguing to say the least and as I asked many questions, Freddy, for the most part, was his quiet self, just listening and enjoying the conversation. As we got ready to leave, Freddy handed Craig a one hundred dollar bill and simply said that he hoped it would help a little for his trip. We left, full of having shared a few moments with a man walking across America and the stories he told. I tell this story to show the kind of man Freddy Kline was. He noticed everyone and was always thinking of ways to help another, as well as, how he could do something that he knew would make me smile. Freddy’s smile could light up my world and that night was just one way he lit up a mere stranger’s world too.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 01:47:08 +0000
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