Tuesday, Sep. 22, 2009

Aberdeen man bears cross on walk home

By Dalina Castellanos, Herald staff writer

PASCO -- Sitting on a ledge splattered with bird droppings under an overpass in east Pasco, James Strickland clutched a small Bible, the cover faded white and the gold trim worn off many of the pages.

"It's got some miles on it," he said Monday with a gapped smile, but there was a lingering feeling he wasn't talking only about the Bible.

Strickland glanced over to the large wooden cross he had parked alongside the highway. His belongings were tied to it near the bottom, where two worn wheels were attached.

"We all have a cross to bear," he said.

As he rubbed a sore shoulder through a black T-shirt with the Eagles' Hotel California album cover on it, it was evident his statement was literal.

Strickland is on a journey -- both spiritual and physical -- that began in Longview, Texas, in November and will end in Aberdeen as soon as his feet can get him home.

Constantly in and out of prison, Strickland said he found himself deep into drugs and, "I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing" both as a citizen and as a father of two young children.

After the mother of his children asked him to leave Aberdeen, Strickland said he violated parole and fled to San Diego to stay with his father and later his brother. But he found more problems.

"He didn't want me around, so I went to Texas with my mom and it turned out she didn't want me around either," he said. So he went to a homeless shelter.

Wanted by the law and shunned by his family, Strickland said he found himself "completely broken." So he decided to pray.

"Lord, if you can't use me, I don't want to live anymore," he recalled saying as he read scriptures.

Then he says he received a message to start walking.

And so he did.

Estimating he's covered 1,600 miles through Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah and Idaho -- a quick search on Google Maps estimates closer to 2,000 -- Strickland says he's walked more than 90 percent of the journey. Along the way, he's received some short rides to shelters or to people's homes.

"I've met really helpful people. Many have let me stay at their homes," he said -- then was interrupted by a horn from a passing potato truck. "Hey, that guy gave me a Gatorade earlier," he said.

Strickland says he hasn't felt hunger or thirst since he began walking in early May, and the help he's received has kept him going.

In Pasco, Strickland heard about the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission and said he had decided to rest there for the night.

"I'm sure we would accommodate him," said Byron Brooks, men's services director at the mission.

Strickland said he recites scripture during his walk, and often is joined by others who want to listen or pitch in. He hoped he would have an opportunity to share his words with those at the shelter.

The mission is home to the New Life Program, in which people like Russell Alan Barnes work to break away from drugs and alcohol and serve God.

One of the ways people can represent the Lord is through visualization, Barnes said. "Many can talk the talk, but (Strickland) is letting people see his devotion with the symbol he carries," he said.

Strickland said since he gave up drugs, "The lord's repairing my relationships."

He said he and the mother of his children have reconciled their friendship: "She's my best friend." He also no longer hides from police, who he said now watch out for him.

And he's looking forward to being a dad again. When he gets home, Strickland wants to teach his 4-year-old son, Peyton, how to fish and to play "ponies" with his 3-year-old daughter, Savannah.

While his days in the sun have been long and trying, Strickland said he's nervous about getting back to the world. He has a job lined up as a heavy equipment operator in Alaska.

-- Dalina Castellanos: 509-582-1542; dcastellanos@tricityherald.com