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How far would you be willing to go to get to work?
Well for one man from Prineville, Oregon, the answer is 33 miles.
While this may not seem like much if you have a car or access to public transportation, it's one heck of a commute if you're doing it like he did — by the power of his own two feet.
What would normally take approximately 45 minutes by vehicle, took Eric Akers 6 AND A HALF HOURS by foot, and someone needs to give this guy a raise.
It all started when Eric's car broke down. With only $300 to his name, he had to spend every last penny he had to have it towed to the shop.
After unsuccessfully trying to find a ride to his night shift as a commercial custodian in the neighboring town of Bend, Eric decided to take matters into his own hands (or, in this case, feet.)
Rather than call in sick he strapped on his sneakers and started walking. And walking. And walking...for 6 and a half hours.
“I needed to get to work no matter what. So I woke up early — about 9:00 a.m. Started around 10:00 a.m. Left for Bend and it took about 6 1/2 hours, but I made the trek.”
Eric Akers via Central Oregon Daily
He made it to work on time. His boss, after hearing his story, was shocked by the lengths he went to.
“When I first heard that, I was shocked. I thought he was joking, actually, at first,” said boss Greg Davies. “I appreciate the dedication. We would have had nobody here for our night crew if he had not gone the extra mile, you might say. Or 30-plus in this case.”
But it turns out, his boss wasn't the only one impressed by his dedication. With a little help from his mama and friends, Eric's story was picked up by local news stations.
And then the emails started pouring in.
Local farmer Chris Arsenault was sitting on his tractor, scrolling on his phone, when he first heard about Eric. After learning that his car required over $2200 in repairs and would take weeks, if not months, for parts to arrive on back order, he immediately decided he wanted to do something to help.
And he had just the thing — a 1997 Honda Civic he no longer needed.
Chris and his wife contacted the news station which put them in touch with Eric.
The next day, Eric went out to meet the couple, totally unaware that he was about to drive away with a car. He was floored when Chris delivered the news, telling him, “I bought this car from my uncle. My aunt bought it brand new in ’97. It’s a clean little car. My wife and I want to give you that car.”
“There’s no way I would have done it. That’s what inspired me to do this, and my wife, too,” Chris said.
As for why Eric chose to walk 33 miles? He chalks it all up to a strong work ethic.
“I guess I say work ethic. I really need the money. I like my job. I want to keep my job. I like the people I work with. So, a measure of just showing I’m willing to do what it takes to get the job done,” he said.
He also added that he just wants to be able to provide for his family and tries to be a good role model for his children. It's definitely working.
According to Chris, he's no superhero. He just did what he thought was right.
“I think, especially in today’s time, we need to help people. We need to help our neighbors. It’s a rough time. People are divided and so I wanted to help him,” he said.
We could all stand to walk in his shoes. Whether it's gifting someone a car or even just giving someone a lift, we all have the ability to help each other out. More often than not it just takes looking in our own backyards to find someone who could use our helping hand.
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