Nathan Winters - Snippets of a Serial Thinker

Small Book Sample (An encounter with the Amish)

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:10:00 -0500

Coming down a stone driveway was a horse pulling what looked to be a wooden trailer with what I thought could possibly be an Amish man standing firm and holding the reins. As this unidentified moving object turned onto Route 220 aiming directly at me, I was able to confirm my suspicions. It was an Amish man. Honestly perplexed, I wondered, “Are there are Amish people in Maine?” I honestly had no idea. I sincerely had no preconceived notions of a possible encounter with the Amish until I had gotten to Central New York where I knew for a fact the Amish were living. It was the first of many learning opportunities I experienced as I made my way across America.

To avoid spooking his horse, I stirred slightly to the left as the man had gotten closer. I could see he was wearing both a large grin and some sort of jump suit you would expect to find an auto mechanic. He was wearing thick denim - dark in color with signs of good old-fashioned wear and tear. He was also “sporting” the traditional Amish haircut. If you are not aware of this particular fashion, it is pretty straightforward. Go into your kitchen and find a medium-sized cereal bowl. Now go into your closet and find your hair clippers. Place the cereal bowl on top of your head as if you were going to wear it for a helmet. Now turn the clippers on and shave off the remaining hair that is exposed. There you have it. Easy-Peasy Japanese: The famous Amish hairdo.

I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and never in my life have I had an actual conversation with an Amish man or woman. To my surprise, this Amish man spoke to me. Still grinning broadly, and with a hint of curiosity, he gestured toward my bicycle and said, “I saw you from the house and couldn’t help but notice your bicycle. It looks interesting. Are you going on a long trip?” I did my best to scrape my jaw from the ground as I replied, “Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I am riding my bicycle across America and today is the very first day of my journey.” He didn’t respond and furthermore, I wasn’t so sure that what I had said was making sense.

I was pretty captivated by this encounter and in my state of wonder, I had forgotten to turn off my iPod which I had mounted to my handle bars and connected to two small speakers. With Paul Simon playing in the background and a quizzical look on his face, the Amish man asked me, “Does your bicycle play music?” “Ha!” I thought. While controlling my laughter, I paused my iPod and attempted to explain that it wasn’t my bicycle that was responsible for providing the music but that it was an accessory I had attached to my bicycle called an iPod which stores my music collection digitally. Again I wasn’t quite sure he understood exactly what I was trying to articulate.

To avoid awkwardness, I began rambling on about why I was on this journey and how I had a fixation with agriculture, sustainability and food chains (three things the Amish have very little to worry about given their self sufficient creed). He didn’t say all that much but instead did what I thought would be the unthinkable. He invited me to his home. In a forthright yet informal way, he said, “If you would like to get your hands dirty, feel free to come back in the morning. I will be building a green house all day and I usually get started around seven.” I replied casually, “Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe I will see you in the morning.

» Request a Sample Chapter Here:http://www.follownathan.org/Request.php

It has been three years to the day since my Father has passed...

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:26:00 -0500

It has been three years to the day since my Father has passed away. I found it very ironic when Anne Barbano creator of http://www.livingtheautismmaze.com/ contacted me about coming on to her show recently. Her show deals mainly with autism and individuals with disabilities. We were not quite sure how my story actually tied in until I informed her that my father was paraplegic. She laughed as if she knew there was a reason she contacted me. And she was right. It brings me great honor and joy to share a bit of his inspiration with the people in Vermont over the air waves.

Love ya old man ;)

#booksnippet - The Vermont I Had Been Waiting For

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:36:21 -0500

She said “here in Vermont there is a fantastic agricultural community. The growers and farmers share information and sometimes we even share equipment. What is also very true here in Vermont is that the larger community is by and large very supportive of local farmers and growers. People here are very conscientious about buying local food.”

I started to realize that I was now getting closer to what I would later identify as the “tip of the antenna”. I was now dipping my toes into a hotbed of savvy and progressive farmers who were finding their locavore soulmates. They were finding savvy and progressive consumers. This was the Vermont that had me fixated with inquisitiveness prior to my departure. I had finally arrived.

#booksnippet - The Famous Amish Haircut

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:11:37 -0500

To avoid spooking his horse I stirred slightly to the left. As the man had gotten closer I could see he was wearing both a large grin and a sort of jump suit you would expect to find an auto mechanic wearing. Thick, dark in color, denim, and signs of some good wear and tear. He was also “sporting” the famous Amish haircut. If you are not aware of this particular fashion it is pretty simple. Go into your kitchen and find a medium sized cereal bowl. Now go into your closet and find your hair clippers. Place the bowl on top of your head as if you were going to wear it for a helmet. Now turn the clippers on and shave all of the hair that is exposed and not protected by the bowl. And there you have it. Easy Peesy Japaneese. The famous Amish Hair do.

#booksnippet - A Friendship Forms in Vermont

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:53:00 -0500

New Hampshire. I really liked you. But take no offense and please trust me when I tell you that the White Mountains are a beautiful wedge nestled between Maine and Vermont. And I will truthfully miss you. But Vermont and I have a covert handshake that only her and I can execute in harmony. Some situations are just meant to be.

My Follow up interview with Shelley Irwin Morning Show in Grand...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:44:09 -0500

My Follow up interview with Shelley Irwin Morning Show in Grand Rapids. Love those people over in Michigan.

#booksnippet - I Only Litter When I Drink and Drive

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:54:00 -0500

The man leaned over to me and with his breath reeking of hard liquor he said in a quiet voice “You are right kid. I can tell you right now that I never litter. And as a matter of fact the only time I ever litter is when I have been drinking and driving and I’ve got a few bottles or cans in the truck. I don’t want the evidence in the car if I get pulled over. But I always place them neatly alongside the road. It’s not like I chuck em out of the window or anything stupid like that”.

Book Snippet - Chapter 3 - New Hampshire

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:38:02 -0500

I don’t like motels. Especially a mediocre establishment. I am the kind of guy that wants either a five star joint with a stunning view where I can sip wine from a balcony and feel important… or I want some shit hole next to the liquor store where I can make three or four unplanned trips to buy cheap booze, listen to my favorite tunes and get drunk alone.

A Few Stops Along the Way on my 4300 Mile Biking Trek Across...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:34:41 -0500

A Few Stops Along the Way on my 4300 Mile Biking Trek Across America

In my lifetime I have collaborated with and acquired the...

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:52:13 -0500

In my lifetime I have collaborated with and acquired the friendship of many incredible people. Some with fancy MBA’s from schools such as Stanford and Harvard. But when I asked Larry Bisbee (this so called hermit in the Maine woods) what his message to America was he would offer me the finest words of wisdom my ears had ever heard. He said “Take the time to follow your dreams. And don’t be afraid to ask. If you don’t ask you don’t get. Local community is like family. And you can accomplish anything when you work together. It’s as simple as that.” From that point on I was no longer afraid to ask for help. And the people in America would never cease to give.

#booksnippet - Expecting Less and Giving More

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:42:43 -0500

Here was a man with very little in the way of monetary value dedicating his entire life to helping children in his community. And with this benevolence he anticipated absolutely nothing in return. He was completely content with the satisfied notion that he was responsible for helping somebody in need. And that was more than enough for him. This would be the very foundation and the catalyst for a fresh way of thinking for me. I now understood the “other kind of wealth”. - My thoughts on an encounter with a man from Maine.

#booksnippet - Realizing Living in L.A. Doesn't Mean Squat in Rural America

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:17:00 -0500

These folks in rural Maine probably thought I was some quick witted, white lyin city slicker. After all I did tell them that I lived in Los Angeles. There was a time in my life when I thought that telling people that I lived in Los Angeles was going to make me appear “extra special and or important”. I would go home to my small town in Pennsylvania for the holidays and the words “I live in LA” often rolled off my tongue like I was one cool cat. Early on in this journey I would come to the realization that living in Los Angeles would create no added value to my presence in rural America. The minute you tell a dairy farmer that you live in LA… they lose interest in a heart beat. I would soon learn the art of failing to mention that I had lived in Los Angeles as I rode my bike across America.

#booksnippet - We used to have a program where elementary students would come to visit and one time...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:13:00 -0500

#booksnippet - We used to have a program where elementary students would come to visit and one time a teacher had come into our barn and commented on how bad it smelled in front of her students. I thought “how can you teach a kid anything about agriculture when the teachers themselves are standing there carrying on and holding their noses?” - Maine Dairy Farmer

A Little Twittersphere Pet Peeve...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:36:00 -0400

This has been bugging me for a little while now… And sometimes even my favorite people on twitter are guilty of this same act… But if I throw a question and or a comment out into the twittersphere and you respond to me via direct private message in which the rest of the world can not view, respond or interact you are not only limiting the potential of where the conversation could lead but you are also throwing me mixed signals. Either A. You are not confident in your response to make it known publicly in which case you may want to consider another social network or B. It’s high school all over again and you really do want to talk to me… but you are just too cool to sit at my lunch table. Either way just keep it real and join the conversation or simply bite your tongue. This thought is very much inspired by the wonderful people who engage tactfully.

I am not a big fan of laptop stickers. But I thought it was time...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:56:39 -0400

I am not a big fan of laptop stickers. But I thought it was time to support my local brewery @rockartbrewery here is morrisville,vt ! This little brewery.

Decision Time - I Created the Snippets of a Serial Thinker

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:09:03 -0400

Now that my cross country bike ride is complete I have decided that it is time to get back into the habit of updating my personal blog as my mind continues to travel. I will be doing that here on Tumblr as I did prior to my journey. You can expect a plethora of eclectic content from thinking out loud, snippets from my book, photos, videos and audio from my journey. I would expect a good bit of random activity as well.You know… things that strike my fancy or displeasure. So check back if you want to see what I am currently wrapping my head around. And feel free to drop me a line and interact. That is the whole point correct?

Book Snippet -Chapter 1 - Maine

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:33:00 -0400

“Nathan!! damn you! If you are not going to embrace this opportunity and realize what you are about to do is absolutely 110,000 % the most fantastic, wonderful, adventurous and meaningful thing you could possibly imagine… nobody in their right mind will see it that way either. So quit the cry baby crap, finish this shower and get out there and pack your bags”

FYI - Please Visit My Sponsor and blog for ALL Follow Nathan Content Over the course of my journey.

Sun, 17 May 2009 16:00:43 -0400

http://www.greenopolis.com/follownathan

A little acadian two step will get you rocking...

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:42:16 -0400

A little acadian two step will get you rocking in the morning… Just add coffee and analytics!

My Wal Mart Photo Safari - Here are a few I liked!...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:22:20 -0400

My Wal Mart Photo Safari - Here are a few I liked! http://www.flickr.com/photos/22002817@N04/