Getting Mail in Goodlettsville 1971

Getting mail at Bakers Box

After getting back from Cosby Tennessee on July 5th. Dan parked the bus and he and Bill went on their way.
The next morning I decided that I was going to walk down to Goodlettsville to the Post Office. I started mailing cards along with a letter or two in Pennsylvania and Ohio the week before, I was like a tourist sending cards, from it seemed like every truck stop. Kenny had noticed the cards I was sending and told me that if I needed a place to get my mail in "town", I could use his post office box number and that he would tell the people at the post office that if I came in to go ahead and give me mail from his box. I had put his post office box number on all my cards and now I hoped that I might have a response or two.
When we initially came in from Columbus that first day I was with the group, Kenny had pointed it out the post office but I really had no idea of how far it was from the bus.

So I started walking up Dickerson Road….I walked, walked and walked.. I finally got to Forest Lawn Cemetery and I still couldn‘t see what I thought that looked like the little shopping center where the post office was so I turned back. It was a hot day and as I approached the bus I started to reach into my pocket for my key and I couldn’t find it. I thought it might have gotten sharp end down in the corner like it had the week before. I must have looked pretty strange walking down Dickerson Road with my hands digging deep in my pockets and counting through the change over and over for a key that wasn’t there.

When I got back to the bus my heart was racing….first I thought I might be able to force something in the crack of the door and move the plunger over to open it, but the deadbolt would not budge….I was about to panic….then another idea….see if one of the side window would move. The window to the left of the door would not budge….then I went over to the driver’s side and low and behold I found that the window would slide a little. I had to look around and find a sturdy stick, then was able to move the sliding window enough to climb up on the tire and pull myself into the window…..I was relieved. I climbed in and just sat there the longest time thinking how lucky I was. I immediately found a small piece of twine and tied a small piece of cardboard to the key.
When I went to the truck stop the next time I found a key ring with a half dollar size leather fob on it and I never misplaced my key again although I found my self checking my pocket each time I went out the door after that and never locked my self out again.