Veteran gains different outlook on life in horse and wagon trip

Sept. 03--Rodger Howell always dreamed of having a horse farm, but life didn't work out that way. In 2013 when a doctor gave him five weeks to live, he bought two horses and a wagon and started to live that dream in a different way.

Howell, his two horses, his dog and his covered wagon were parked along French Creek in Meadville for the night Wednesday -- or however long Howell decides to hang around.

"I don't have to stick to schedules and I don't have time limits," Howell said.

Howell is 64 years old. He is originally from Michigan, but he lived in Tennessee from 1981 until he left by horse and wagon in April 2013. That first trip took him back to Michigan. He made it in a little over five weeks.

"I worked from the age of 14," Howell said. "At the age of 17, I went into the Army."

Howell said he did the things that most people do in life. He tried to be a good father by providing for his children. "I bought them everything they needed," he said. "They had every toy that they wanted."

"I got them all those things by working all the time," he said. "It's too late to change the things that have happened, but this trip has changed my life."

Howell was a police chief in Tennessee for eight years. "From my time in that job and my experience in the Army, I lost respect for humans," he said. "I saw so many awful things and met so many bad people that I just didn't like the human race."

Howell also suffered from a series of serious health issues. "I had a heart attack, double bypass surgery and I had two stints put in in 2010," he said. "Then I had surgery on my kidney in 2013." That's about the time that he said the doctor told him if things kept going the same way, he would have five weeks to live.

Howell received the diagnosis following complications attributed to Agent Orange exposure. Agent Orange was a herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.

He has more than surpassed those five weeks, and by traveling the country over the last 2 1/2 years, he has gained a different outlook on life.

"This trip has shown me that there are a lot more good people in this world than bad people." he said. "You don't always get to meet the good people because they aren't out getting into trouble."

This experience has been life changing for more people than just Howell.

Howell spent a month at a farm in Union City along his travels. "The couple who let me stay there had troubles of their own, but they gave me a place to park my wagon anyway," he said.

While they provided Howell with a place to stay he tried to help the woman manage caring for a husband with Alzheimer's disease. "I took him for a ride in my wagon and it was like a spark lit up inside him," Howell said. "He forgot about it not long after, but he had that moment."

The moment occurred for Howell also. He said that he has learned that God doesn't work for individuals. "God doesn't work in singles, he works in pairs," Howell said. "We all benefit from our interactions with each other."

Howell's next destination is Findley, Ohio, where he plans on reconnecting with his cousins. After that he plans on heading to Arkansas to see some friends and a great aunt.

Lorri Drumm can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at lorrid@meadvilletribune.com.

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