Jimmy Wayne Stirs a Cup of Reflection After 1,700-Mile Trek

When Jimmy Wayne arrived at the Nashville airport on Tuesday, August 3, after completing his 1,700-mile, six-state Meet Me Halfway walk in Phoenix, Ariz., he was genuinely surprised by several friends and supporters who greeted him, including some kids from the Monroe Harding Children's Home, where his walk started on January 1. Jimmy was taken to the airport's baggage claim area in a wheelchair, since he's still nursing a broken foot he sustained during the last 50 miles of his walk. He was hailed with cheers, welcome home signs and numerous hugs from friends as he exclaimed it was the "best finale" to his journey to see all the smiling faces who were there just for him.

The hope from everyone around Jimmy was that he would be able to go straight home and get some rest, but that was not quite what the singer and homeless-teen advocate had in mind. "The first thing I usually do is wash clothes," Jimmy tells The Boot of his initial plans, making it sound as if it were like any other trip out of town. "I walk in my house and turn on my washer because I can't stand for dirty clothes to sit in a basket. I just hate that."

On a more significant point, he then planned to reflect upon all that had happened over the course of the past seven months. "Probably today, I would like to have a cup of coffee and I may go back to that thermostat that I stood at the day I decided to walk across America, which brought on this whole idea," he notes. "Walking across America started with me staring at my thermostat after I'd just turned it up and I was all warm and stirring a cup of coffee. It made me feel kind of guilty I was able to do that, but on top of that, I hadn't done anything to give back that year. I may go home today and turn [the thermostat] down, and say thanks and stir my coffee."

Jimmy only has a short break before he heads back out on the road, but he won't be walking to his next destination. He's back on the concert-tour circuit with a show in Greenville, Wisc. on Saturday, August 7.