I had a chance encounter with a stranger this week, and I want to tell you guys about it....
Monday just gone, I had just filled the tractor up with diesel, changed metal on the cultivator and heading out the yard to get on with the day.
There is a footpath that runs through the yard, a guy was walking up towards me.
An older chap, well dressed in proper gear, large rucksack - I mean proper well used gear. Stuff people use when they are seasoned hikers...
This footpath is a busy one, its part of the wonderful 3 Churches walk...but you don't see guys like this chap on it very oftern.
Curiosity got the better of me, as he walked past me me with a little hand up hello gesture, I called out and asked him where he was heading. Great Yarmouth via Norwich was his reply...in a very obvious Aussie accent.
Right, thats it...I needed to learn more...
Turns out this guy was 3 weeks into a walk from Oxford to Great Yarmouth, with no real plans once he got there 💪
He was a seasoned hiker, he bet me he had seen way more of the UK then most of its residents...no doubt he was right.
This guy told me he was 71yrs old, he is sort of retired but still gets requests from some huge companies to help him occassional (engineering is his game).
He said he has everything in his pack that he needs not to rely on anyone - tent, sleeping bag, stove, food, water, clothes etc etc. I absolutely loved this.
We chatted for about 10mins, I had to get on but I could of chatted with this guy all day. He described the joy he had just felt seeing the thatched cottages in the village, we don't have character like that in Aus he said.
I'm not that sure why this chance conversation has really stuck with me. The way this guy had such freedom infront of him, he was just doing exactly what he wanted yet in the most modest of ways...hiking.
I regret not asking him his name, but then it wouldn't of really mattered.
I have been thinking alot lately about success....what is it....how do we achieve it....etc etc
I wish I'd asked this chap what succuss was to him, in reality though I didn't really need to ask...it was pretty obvious by just watching him wonder off down the footpath 😊