10-4 Magazine December 2022

10-4 Magazine / December 2022 77 The trucks were running when he decided to pursue another passion. A self-taught photographer, Gary opened a studio, and that lasted for a few years, before the call of the road was too much, and back in a truck he went. Which brings us to Straightism #297: “Driving a truck is like doing time in an 18-wheel prison. I’ve busted out before only to realize I can’t make it on the outside.” I think many of us can really relate! Zelda was a 1953 Peterbilt that Gary converted into a toy hauler long before he drove her from Florida to Alaska. Gary wrote a book about this trip called “Straight From The Road: Adventures in Zeldathepete.” A couple of this truck’s other nicknames were Junk Yard Dog, because she had parts from 1949-1969 trucks, and another was the Rockabilly Peterbilt. Whatever you call her, she looks like a pretty cool old truck to me, and her story is forever told in the book with her name. In 1998, Gary started pulling the freight he loves and still hauls to this day – classic cars, tractors, and trains. He bought his first car hauler trailer sight-unseen, and he hasn’t looked back. The truck he has today is named “Thelma” and she is the girl he had with him the day we had lunch. At home he has a T600 big bunk project truck, but he hasn’t had much time to work on this white rig. Most of the mechanicals have been taken care of, and now it’s time to think about what she’s going to look like. One thing he’s fairly certain about... it’s going to have a patriotic paint scheme. There are a few trucks and one train that have been his inspiration for this over the last couple years. In 2016 Gary was diagnosed with throat cancer. He told me, “Anger will destroy you. I didn’t fight cancer, I just surrendered to it, and with that mindset and the treatments, I beat it!” He was by himself most of this time because he didn’t want anyone hovering over him. During this time, Facebook gave him an outlet, which he used to write and share his pictures. He had time and nothing else to do. His friends list grew to nearly 5,000 during this period. In 2018 he was deemed cancer free, and still is today. Straightism #398: “Doc says there is plenty of iron in my blood, only problem is that it’s rusting!” It’s been a long and rocky road sometimes, but despite the curves, the hills, the downgrades, the rough and the smooth highways, a few potholes, and city streets turning to country roads, Gary has been down them all – but he keeps going straight down every road he travels, sharing his wisdom and enjoying the company of the people along the way. Straightism #300: “Your enemies might hurt you, but your anger will destroy you!” I think Straightism #288 sums it up pretty well: “Being satisfied comes from getting something you want. Being content comes from being thankful for what you have.” Out here in our 3,000-mile-wide neighborhood, we all occasionally are forced to travel the rough roads. But, sometimes, those rough roads make us appreciate the times when we are sailing down the smooth Interstate of life. As we get older and put more miles behind us, the friendships we make along the way become more precious. Even on the tough days, try to make the miles good and the memories awesome, and relish those “straight roads” when you can... we know Gary Straight will. n