With new wages from the recycling plant added to his airline compensation, Tim Jamieson stood on the I-95 North ramp in Brunswick, Georgia, trying to hitch a ride. After over an hour in the sun, an elderly woman in a Volvo station wagon stopped. She introduced herself as Marjorie Kellerman, the Brunswick librarian, and vetted Tim with blunt questions before offering a ride toward South Carolina in exchange for help moving library books.

As they drove, Marjorie mentioned her role in the Southeastern Library Association and complained about reduced funding. They stopped at a small library in Pooler, Georgia, where Tim unloaded cartons of books and loaded more destined for the Yemassee Public Library across the South Carolina line.

After passing Hardeeville, South Carolina, traffic on I-95 ground to a halt due to a wreck ahead, with only two lanes available. Marjorie, frustrated by the recurring jams, told Tim he could leave and try his luck via the Hardeeville exit and Highway 17. She assured him she would find another helper to unload the books and admitted she had picked him up to “live a little dangerously.”

Tim offered to stay, but Marjorie insisted he go. She even offered him ten dollars, which he declined, touched by her generosity. He shook her hand and walked along the breakdown lane back to the exit, relieved to escape the claustrophobic gridlock that reminded him of his crowded flight.

On U.S. 17, when no ride materialized, Tim walked a couple of miles to State Road 92. Seeing a sign for DuPray and with late afternoon setting in, he decided to find a motel there rather than sleep outdoors. He set off toward DuPray, reflecting—implicitly—on how small decisions and accidents were steering his path.