Latest / Travel With A Purpose / Introducing New Sojourners, Earl and Pearl Traveler, Miles the Poodle, and Miss Gypsy the Orange Tabby

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Introducing New Sojourners, Earl and Pearl Traveler, Miles the Poodle, and Miss Gypsy the Orange Tabby · Travel With A Purpose

• 0:05
  Speaker: Hello, fellow SojoJourners.
• 0:07
  Speaker: I'm your host, Dave Laton, and welcome to Travel with a Purpose, a podcast designed to keep sojourners and friends informed, entertained, and inspired.
• 0:24
  Speaker: In today's episode, I'm going to introduce you to a new Sojourner couple.
• 0:30
  Speaker: You are going to hear a lot about Earl and Pearl Traveler and their poodle Miles and the orange tabby cat Miss Gypsy.
• 0:42
  Speaker: We plan to make them a regular feature in the Enlightenment newsletter.
• 0:47
  Speaker: Well this new Sojourner couple are not real people, but they sure could be.
• 0:52
  Speaker: I made them up to add humor and perhaps some lessons for us as sojourners.
• 0:58
  Speaker: Now Pearl is a sweet, patient, and dutiful wife.
• 1:04
  Speaker: Earl is the adventurous one in the family.
• 1:07
  Speaker: But sometimes Earl gets into situations.
• 1:11
  Speaker: Well, as we all know, one of the greatest challenges with being a sojourner is setting up the rig.
• 1:20
  Speaker: It all begins with getting the rig into position at a campground.
• 1:25
  Speaker: And although we have lots of room at Camp B Oh and by the way, there is lots of room at Camp B for you.
• 1:33
  Speaker: Come on by and visit for a while.
• 1:35
  Speaker: Well back to the story.
• 1:38
  Speaker: Although there is lots of room at Camp B, it can still be a challenge to get things just right.
• 1:45
  Speaker: Well this was the first time Earl and Pearl, Miles and Miss Gypsy, had visited Camp B.
• 1:52
  Speaker: They stopped by the office to meet Sally and Jimmy and to get directions on where to park.
• 1:59
  Speaker: It happened to be a Thursday evening, so Sally said Set up in section A, and if you'll hurry, we're having our weekly potluck and you are just in time.
• 2:11
  Speaker: Well, of course that gave motivation to Earl.
• 2:16
  Speaker: Like all sojourners, other than hand and foot, eating is our favorite pastime.
• 2:22
  Speaker: Sally said, Follow us and we'll show you where Section A is.
• 2:27
  Speaker: So Sally and Jimmy jumped into their trusty white golf cart and scooted around the curve by the pond with Earl, Pearl, Miles, and Miss Gypsy rumbling along behind them.
• 2:40
  Speaker: Earl and Pearl smiled as they approached area A.
• 2:44
  Speaker: It already felt like home sweet camp B.
• 2:48
  Speaker: Earl nodded confidently, gripping the steering wheel like a man piloting a moon landing.
• 2:54
  Speaker: We'll be parked before you know it, he said.
• 2:58
  Speaker: Now, those words should have worried everyone, because while Earl was an excellent driver going forward, backing the RV into a campsite was challenging, threatening, and usually entertaining.
• 3:15
  Speaker: As we know, several sojourners were spending a couple of weeks at Camp B helping around the camp.
• 3:22
  Speaker: They were excited to see Earl and Pearl arrive in their big Class A RV.
• 3:27
  Speaker: Like all experienced campers, they immediately assumed their official positions.
• 3:34
  Speaker: One person on the left, another on the right, and all shouting instructions trying to help Earl get it centered just right.
• 3:43
  Speaker: And Pearl, along with Sally and Jimmy, stood at a safe distance away, not sure what to anticipate.
• 3:52
  unknown: J.
• 3:53
  unknown: Roundsville, the camp B manager and his ever attentive wife Carol strolled over to meet the new sojourners.
• 4:00
  unknown: Meanwhile, the Section A campsite sign stood proudly nearby.
• 4:06
  unknown: It was sturdy and visible.
• 4:09
  unknown: It had survived wind, rain, and years of Harold Lambright mowing.
• 4:15
  unknown: What it had never faced was Earl.
• 4:20
  unknown: All right, Earl called out through the driver's window.
• 4:23
  unknown: Guide me in.
• 4:24
  unknown: One sojourner motioned right.
• 4:27
  unknown: No, my right, he called out.
• 4:30
  unknown: The other yelled straighten up.
• 4:32
  unknown: Then someone in the back yelled the other way.
• 4:36
  unknown: Earl just sighed as if she knew the inevitable.
• 4:42
  unknown: At this point, Earl had received enough conflicting directions to qualify for emotional whitlash.
• 4:49
  unknown: Still, he pressed on, slowly, carefully, mostly.
• 4:55
  unknown: The rig crept backwards.
• 4:58
  unknown: Miles barked encouragement.
• 5:00
  unknown: Miss Gypsy disappeared under the kitchen table, having already read the situation better than anyone else.
• 5:07
  unknown: Then Pearl suddenly raised her voice Pearl stop Now, every husband knows there are certain tones in marriage that deserve immediate obedience.
• 5:21
  unknown: This was one of them.
• 5:23
  unknown: Unfortunately, Pearl wasn't wearing his hearing aid, but he clearly heard crunch..
• 5:31
  unknown: Then silence.
• 5:33
  unknown: Not normal silence.
• 5:35
  unknown: This was the kind of silence where birds stopped singing.
• 5:39
  unknown: Earl froze.
• 5:41
  unknown: Jay removed his hat and bowed his head.
• 5:46
  unknown: Carol covered her mouth and said Oh my.
• 5:57
  unknown: Well, not vanished exactly.
• 5:59
  unknown: It was now laying beneath the back wheel like it had lost a theological debate with gravity.
• 6:06
  unknown: The wooden post was leaning sideways like an undecided voter.
• 6:11
  unknown: Earl steps out of the RV and stared.
• 6:14
  unknown: Well, one brother said, You found area A.
• 6:20
  unknown: For one long second nobody moved.
• 6:24
  unknown: Then Carol started to laugh.
• 6:26
  unknown: Another joined in.
• 6:28
  unknown: Pretty soon everyone was laughing.
• 6:30
  unknown: Even Earl joined in.
• 6:32
  unknown: I was aiming for close, Earl said proudly.
• 6:35
  unknown: Turns out I achieved intimate.
• 6:38
  unknown: From that moment on, Earl became a can't be legend.
• 6:42
  unknown: Jay sauntered over like a farmer approaching a major decision about corn and placed caution tape around the remains.
• 6:50
  unknown: Jimmy made a cardboard replacement sign that read Section A, back up cautiously.
• 6:57
  unknown: Jay eventually repaired the Section A sign, though it still has a slight lean to it as if it's ready to make a run for it.
• 7:06
  unknown: To this day, whenever Earl backs into a campsite, someone inevitably shouts Remember Area A and Earl, with all the dignity of a man who has embraced his legacy, simply smiles and says I do.
• 7:24
  unknown: That sign sure don't.
• 7:26
  unknown: Now, every good story has to have a moral.
• 7:30
  unknown: So the moral of the story is never underestimate the power of potluck motivation, the danger of too many directions, and a missed turn can flatten a sign, bruise your pride, and earn you campground fame faster than dessert on Thursday night.
• 7:50
  unknown: When in doubt, slow down.
• 7:53
  unknown: Turn down the advice.
• 7:55
  unknown: And remember, signs are temporary, but sojourner stories are forever.
• 8:02
  unknown: Well, thanks for listening to this podcast.
• 8:04
  unknown: I invite you to subscribe and share it with others.
• 8:07
  unknown: I'm your host, Dave Leighton, and remember we glorify God as together we travel with a purpose.
• 8:13
  unknown: Happy sojourning.