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During a long thread on rbp concerning hitching shuttles, I posted this (or something close). I'm a notorious hitch hiker myself (at the Ocoee or Chattooga but rarely anywhere else). The gripe was that paddlers (with obvious room in their vehicles) were passing up paddlers who were hitch hiking their shuttle. My view:

Pilgrimage To The Put-in

The Pilgrim was traveling by foot from the take-out to the put-in. He chose to leave his means of swift conveyance at the end of the run for it was here that he would need it most at the close of the day. Since many other travelers with ample space in their wagons were to be found making this same journey, he felt assured that his time spent on foot would be brief. As he walked along the road he gave the humble and universal request for transport -- the raised thumb.

The first to pass by was The Priest of the Facade. He had many mulicolored adornments gracing the sides of his grand yet unfilled chariot. With either written words or art, many of these adornments made profound philosophical statements about either the Earth or Mankind, therefore The Priest must have certainly been a great man filled with wisdom and sensitivity. Yet as he came upon The Pilgrim he passed by on the other side of the road for the man standing there was clad only in a simple loincloth and sandles. Standing there with upraised thumb, he appeared a beggar and was therefore unworthy of a ride in the fine chariot. He would surely foul its exquisite coat.

A Fine lady was next to travel the road. As she came upon the Pilgrim with upraised thumb, she said to herself, " I shall not assist this person for he has obviously planned his excursion neither wisely nor in advance and relies solely on his own good fortune or the kindness of others to make his way. He must be taught a lesson." Although she had ample room, she too passed by on the other side of the road.

A man from the land of Samaria was traveling that road also (Samaritans are the finest people to have as neighbors on the river). When he came upon the place where the Pilgrim stood with upraised thumb, he simply stopped and offered a ride. He somehow knew that there would surely come the day when he would require assistance of some kind from a stranger, and even if such a day never came to pass, he would at least be content in knowing that another small positive charge whirled away into the vast universe.

And later upon the river The Priest became lodged in a perilous way upon a rock. He was sore afraid! The Pilgrim paddled near and positioned himself. He then gave a powerful and decisive yank to the grab loop of the pinned boat and freed it. The Priest asked, " Why did you render help to me when it was I who so obviously passed you by ealier?" The Pilgrim answered quickly before he floated away, " Because you were a fellow paddler in need of help and at that moment and I could provide it."

And later upon the river The Fine Lady was sent swimming in a most endangered way. As she gulped for those precious moments of air, The Pilgrim positioned himself nearby and presented a saving grab loop. As he pulled her into a placid eddy The Fine Lady asked, " Why did you make this grand effort on my behalf when it was I who so obviously passed you by as you stood by the side of the road?" The Pilgrim answered quickly before he floated away, "Because you were a fellow paddler in need of help and at that moment I could provide it."

And later upon the river The Pilgrim and the Samaritan paddled together as friends. They both understood that to be true kindred spirits (as they were) in this magnificent fluid dance with Nature, the silly trappings of everyday life should be left elsewhere and assistance between or among true kindred spirits should always be unconditional.

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