The cop car pulled up alongside him, but he continued to plod forward, but the car continued to follow. He had to make it, 10 miles to go and he’d be safe. He looked at his watch and walked faster, his legs burning as he powered on. But there was no deterring this policeman.
Walter Carr had moved to Homewood, Alabama with his mother after tragedy struck. They’d hoped to rebuild their lives after their home was destroyed by the monster Hurricane Katrina and wanted to start fresh. Walter was a 20 year old student, but he was determined to work to support his mother. Little did he know just how hard that would prove to be. Walter had heard that there was a position available at Bell Hops, a moving company about 20 miles away from where he lived. It was far to travel, but he had his trusty old car.
So he drove over and filled in the application and was lucky to get an interview right then and there. He shook the hiring manager’s hand and agreed to start the very next day. If only it were so easy. Just a few feet away from his driveway, his old car spluttered to a halt. Walter’s heart started to race as he opened the hood and peered inside. Of all days, his car chose this one to finally give in and die. To his dismay, smoke poured from the engine and he knew there would be no starting it again. Walter pulled out his phone to tell the manager of Bell Hops that he wouldn’t be starting after all. Then he changed his mind. Walter was young and fit, but still, 20 miles is an impossible distance. But Walter was determined. Maybe he could do it. He keyed the address into Google Maps and then he started to cry into feet. It would take him seven hours to get there on foot and he had no money to get his car repaired. What could Walter do? He needed this job. His mother was unable to make the house payments and they could find themselves homeless again within a month.
Walter simply couldn’t let that happen. He had to try. So he set his alarm for 12 AM and tried to get a good night’s sleep. When 12 AM rolled around, Walter awoke. He pulled on his most comfortable sneakers, threw on his jacket and set off into the night. It would take seven hours to get there, but he was determined to reach the Bell Hops client on time. As if walking the backbreaking 20 miles wasn’t enough, life decided to throw Walter another curve ball. Walter had started his walk at a brisk pace, but by the time he reached the halfway mark, his legs were shaking. Sweat poured from his face and his feet burned. He’d walked over 10 miles and the exertion was taking its toll. The thought of losing his job on the first day kept him going as he focused on moving one foot after the other, again and again. Then he saw a flash of blue. He’d been too focused on keeping his legs moving to notice, but a car had been following for the last 10 minutes. It was 420 AM and he still had miles and miles to go. Then the car flashed its lights and blared its short warning sirensand he knew they were there for him.
Walter turned his head to see the cop roll up beside him. Where are you rushing off to, buddy? The cop asked pointedly. He had had a rough and late night on patrol duty and the last thing he wanted was more trouble. Walter, gasping for breath, tried to answer him without breaking his stride. He was all too aware that the clock was ticking. The cop had seen enough and ordered Walter into the car. He didn’t care to find out what this young man was doing in the street at that late hour. As far as he was concerned, he was up to no good. But when Walter mustered enough breath to tell him the reason for his late night walk about, his eyes widened in disbelief. Officer Sean gray had seen many things in his life, but this boy’s determination astounded him beyond relief. They drove the next six miles in silence until Walter saw the house appear in the distance. Relief crashed over him like a wave. He’d made it before time had run out. He thanked Officer gray and shakily got out of the car. But there was still more surprises for Walter on that fateful day.
The policeman escorted Walter to the door and told the homeowner, Jenny Hayden Laney, how he had traveled 14 miles on foot to help her with her move. She was flabbergasted by his dedication. When the rest of the Bell Hops crew arrived, Walter tirelessly got to work loading boxes into the moving van. He was exhausted, but he kept going. Then, Jenny wrote the post on Facebook that exploded overnight. Jenny’s Facebook post read, Yesterday was a long day, but a good day. Chris and I woke up around 545 AM to get everything staged and ready for the movers. Around 630 AM, the doorbell rang. It was a police officer. He proceeded to tell us that he had picked up this nice kid in Pellum early this morning. The nice kid, Walter, said that he was supposed to help us with our move today. It was his first day on the job with his moving company, Bell Hops, and he was training today. The officer proceeded to tell us that the previous evening, Walter’s car broke down and he didn’t know how he was going to get to work. So he left Homewood at midnight and started walking to Pelem on 280.
He walked all night to get from Homewood to Pelem because he needed to get to work. Jenny was so awed by Walter’s determination to get to his job that she started a GoFundMe account to raise the money he needed to repair his car. The target was set at $2,000, but when netizens read Jenny’s heartfelt post, the original amount was exceeded by a whopping $32,000. But soon after that, Walter’s action got the attention of Bellhop’s CEO, Luke Marklin. Marklin immediately got into his Ford Escapeand drove it from Tennessee to Homewood. On his arrival, he presented a gobsmack Walter with the keys. Walter couldn’t believe his eyes. The CEO of Bell Hops had just given him his own family car. It was all too overwhelming, and Walter started to cry. He’d never experienced such kindness before, as the whole community ralled behind him and cheered him on. Walter’s exemplary behavior has inspired thousands of people, and Jennings’ original Facebook post has since garnered an astounding 2,000 shares and comments. One commenter wrote, I’m definitely really touched by his journey as well. It’s impressive how we can give excuses to not do something, but there are people like Walter who don’t like excuses and just do.
And another, life is made of challenges. Walter passed the test, gracious and humble man. I can’t imagine how many times on that lonely walk down 280 in the middle of the night did he want to turn back? How many times did he wonder if this was the best idea? How many times did he want to find a place to sit or lie down and wait till morning when he could maybe get somebody to pick him up and bring him back home? But he walked until he got here. Jenny wrote in awe. Walter’s dedication to his job has become a symbol of the hardworking American, and the determination has even inspired a hashtag movement titled #BelikeWalter on social media. But Walter remains humble and shrugs all the praise off, saying, I just walked. He aspirations to become a Marine one day, and he’s definitely proved to the world that he can achieve anything he sets his mind to.
