Some guy named Paul visits my hometown on a bike ride across America. He finds Rayne “full of good people” — even the felons.

“I asked at the police station about a spot to put up the tent, and the police chief spoke to me…He decided I should sleep on the bench in the police station and I thought he was kidding but he wasn’t and then he left for the night without telling any of the other employees why I was there, but it worked out alright. There were some inmates who were on some kind of a work release deal so they had the right to walk around the police station and did janitorial work. They were interested in my trip, especially Hubert who was a big black guy and very cool…They hung out with me for a while and got me food, prison food, for dinner and breakfast the next morning.

“As I said goodbye, Hubert said some thoughtful things. ‘What you’re doing is free, it’s what being free is all about. If I could, if I were younger and had my finances in order and weren’t in here [jail], I’d be doing something like what you’re doing. It’s free.’”

11 July 2005

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