The "Riding His Mower To Scheetz" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My friend from State College, Pennsylvania, Jere, and his wife Sue, had been visiting for the weekend.  Spent the day yesterday walking around Chesapeake City, Maryland before having a meal at the Chesapeake Inn.  Spent the evening talking about our lives and headed to bed early.  Jere and I have been lifetime friends who met in 1st grade at Milton J. Brecht Elementary School in Manheim Township.  We quickly learned we lived close to each other and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.  While waiting for our spouses to get out of bed this morning we spent some time looking at the local Sunday News and watching TV.  As I was channel surfing I came upon one of our favorite TV shows, "Mysteries at the Museum" which stars Don Wildman who is quickly becoming a star on documentary television.  The show takes you across the United States, exploring the vaults of our nation's museums.  Some of the most interesting events and most unusual items are viewed and talked about at length during the hour-long show.  

The library scrapbook depicting the trip across
two states for a visit by the Straight brothers.

Today we visited the Lauren, Iowa Public Library on Third Street were we found a big scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photos that talked about a 73 year old fellow by the name of Alvin Straight who had not seen his estranged brother for many years.  His brother, who lived in Mount Zion, Wisconsin, was in poor health and not expected to live long.  So, Alvin sets out on a journey across Iowa and Wisconsin to find his brother before he passes so he can make amends with him.  Naturally, all this is documented in the scrap book at the library.  Jere and I sat there amazed at the story of Alvin Straight as it unfolded in front of us on the TV screen.  

The trip from Laurens to Mount Zion.

Alvin was a diabetic who also suffered from emphysema from years of smoking.  He managed to live on Social Security, but no longer had a driver's license since his eyesight was bad.  

Alvin on his riding mower with trailer.

So, he decided to make the trip on his riding mower, towing a trailer behind him to carry his gear.  His tale is not only told in the library journal, but as a book and movie also titled "the Straight Story."  My story today is not to tell you about the TV show Jere and I had watched, but about what happened after the show ended.  As we sat talking, I looked at Jere and began to devise a plan to get him to his local Scheetz Gas Station every morning, as he used to do, for a cup of coffee.  Jere has had vision problems for many years and is now not supposed to drive...a car...anymore.  Nothing had ever been said about not driving a riding mover!  His dear wife, Sue, does drive him to Scheetz quite often, but she wouldn't have to be inconvenienced every day by getting up at 6:00 am to drive him to get a cup of coffee.  

The cover of the book which was also
made into a movie of the same name.

He could hop on his riding mower, head the 100 yards to the corner intersection, cross with the light and drive the remaining two blocks along the walk to the Scheetz.  Problem solved!!  We looked at each other and I could see the wheels turning in his head just like the guy who had to drive across state lines to see his dying brother.  That morning, after breakfast, Jere and Sue returned to State College as always.  But, I just know that sometime in the future I'll get a call from him telling me about this trip he took to Scheetz on his riding mover.  And, I'm sure Sue will have to start a scrapbook to document the trip. Someday on TV someone will be listening to Don Wilder's son telling the story about "the Herr story"!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.