“Johnny 6 Strings” Plays Us a Song

Last night I ended up partying with a friend on Mill Ave. and we ended up talking to a homeless guy. He went by the name Johnny 6 Strings because he was playing his guitar. He had one of the most interesting stories I have ever heard.

I asked him how many states he had lived in and his answer blew my mind. He said he had lived in 49 states and the only one left was Alaska. He said he plans on going to Alaska and dying there someday.

This guy had stories of partying with hippies, sleeping under bridges, and everything in between. Back in the 70’s, he said he managed to hitchhike from the east coast to the west coast with less than a dollar in his pocket. Pretty crazy I must say.

He said there was nothing better than playing the guitar for people and just living life. He was recently diagnosed with cancer and knows his days are limited. The thing he was most grateful for is his son.

Everyday he walks to Tempe from Scottsdale even though it takes him forever. He said on his way home from Tempe the sun is usually coming up by the time he gets there. Pretty amazing I must say. Except last night, we ended up giving the guy a ride home and he was truly grateful for it.

On the ride home, he asked if we could stop at a Circle K to get something to drink and we said no problem. He said he was going to use his food stamps to pay for it which was pretty interesting. He ended up by my friend and I some beef jerky and it was a nice feeling to see someone with hardly anything willing to give back.

It was a great experience and I hope to have more encounters like this one. Please stick around, this weekend will be bringing some more interesting posts.

Posted on: May 9th, 2008

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