Learning a life lesson from John the hitchhiker

It was about five years ago, the day after Christmas, and I was racing to get back to Silver City, NM from a trip to visit family in Tucson, AZ. I had an obligation that afternoon so I was going as fast as the law would allow.
Just as I was turning into the last highway leading into Silver City, I noticed a man walking on the right-hand side of the road. He didn’t have his finger…