He waits.
He watches.
Emerging from the wooded shoulders of I-65 near Louisville, he tramps through the early fog to stand at the road’s edge, watching commuters streak by. His horizontal pupils follow the endless columns of cars and trucks shooting to and from work. He chews tufts of weed and grass thoughtfully, but never strays into traffic
Houdini, the I-65 Goat, is too wise for that. He clomps up to the highway, but never breaches its boundaries, respecting its place and his place in the cosmos.
Some call him a myth, an aberration, a figurehead of controversy in this age of controversy. Some call him a coarsely-furred symbol of the best in America. Some call him a goat that likely strayed from an area farm and took up residence along the highway. All are true. And none are true.
Concerned citizens frequently call police to report Houdini, worrying for his safety, but local police shrug off their concerns. Time and time again they went to corral the wayward goat, only to find empty air. His ability to elude police earned him the name Houdini.
Days, even weeks, go by without a single sighting of Houdini, the I-65 Goat, but he always returns, standing confidently on construction equipment, exploring a wreck or chewing on the remnants of a blue tarp. Several sightseers have captured video of Houdini as they streaked by on the highway and thousands have poured over the videos, trying to make sense of a pastoral goat standing amidst the commercial clutter of Interstate 65.
As his legend grew, so did his online footprint. A Kentucky schoolteacher, Tom Pitt, created a Facebook page for the regal beast, which sports over 20,000 Likes to date. Photos and encounters fill the page as disbelievers see the truth of Houdini. Pitt’s admiration for Houdini is clear: “He’s our hero. He’s inside all of us.”
Where did Houdini come from? How long has he been there? Where does he sleep and does he have enough to eat?
Some questions are not meant to be answered. Instead, we should content ourselves by knowing that no matter what turmoil jostles our professional or private lives, Houdini, the I-65 Goat, remains a constant, standing on the shoulder of a highway and staring into the distance. Thinking his goaty thoughts.
Goat On, Houdini.
Goat On.
Want to Know More?
To hear tales of his legend, Tom Pitt’s Houdini, the I-65 Goat Facebook Page is the authoritative source.
Support his legend and a cancer charity at the same time HERE. Donors to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research will receive car decals of Houdini.
