Jimmy Wayne’s ‘Morning’ Goes From Heartbreak to Hope
Jimmy Wayne made it to Amarillo, Texas this past weekend -- the official halfway point of his walk across America to raise awareness for at-risk teens aging out of the foster care system. Leaving Nashville, Tenn. on New Year's Day and reaching Amarillo three months later has been quite the accomplishment for the singer, who was once homeless himself as a teen.
While crossing into Amarillo, Jimmy couldn't help but think of the George Strait classic, 'Amarillo By Morning.' The song strikes a special chord for him now, replacing a not-so-happy memory it has conjured in the past.
"When I was 20-years-old, I dated this girl for about three years who I worked with," Jimmy tells The Boot. "She was the love of my life. I didn't think there was any other woman who existed. God made Eve, and then He made her. I loved her so much that I couldn't stand it. I loved her more than I did myself. I just knew that she was the one for me ...Things started falling apart, and I never could quite understand why. She just started not talking to me as much anymore."
Jimmy eventually quit that job but did see his ex one more time when he picked up his final paycheck. "I asked the boss where she was, and she told me she was taking a break," Jimmy remembers. "We had this little area where we would take our break together, so I went there to find her. When I walked up, she was kissing this guy. I'm telling you ... it devastated my heart. It was seriously shattered to pieces. I was so hurt that there wasn't a bit of anger ... I just stood there, so incredibly broken inside. I walked away from her, and I got in my car. As soon as I cranked the car up, the song that came on the radio was 'Amarillo By Morning.' I swear to you, for the last 17 years of my life, every time I hear that song, I think of her."
Now that Jimmy has walked over 1,000 miles on his Meet Me Halfway campaign, 'Amarillo By Morning' is something he can now listen to with a smile. "Finally there is something that has taken the place of that old memory," Jimmy notes. "It's no longer going to be about my heart being broken and all that nonsense ... it's going to be about the fact that I walked halfway across America! It's such a big accomplishment to say that I walked from Nashville to Amarillo. When I hear that song, I'm going to be thinking, 'Remember that day I walked into Amarillo, Texas?' It's all going to be about project Meet Me Halfway."
Now that Jimmy is in the last half of his 1,700-mile trek, he will take some much needed time off from walking later this month to regroup and rest his feet. Jimmy expects to arrive in Phoenix, Ariz. sometime in late May or early June. To keep up with Jimmy's progress, follow him on Twitter or log onto the official website for project Meet Me Halfway.
Download Jimmy Wayne Songs
More From TheBoot
