A Pink Bucket, a Pack Mule, and a Different Way of Living
The other day, I was sitting outside our local coffee shop for a meeting. The air was brisk and clean, with that lovely feeling of the season turning toward fall. We were talking about an upcoming art project—painting a utility box at the corner of Meridian and Foxworthy in San Jose—when I heard something unexpected.
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.
Hoofbeats?
I turned to see a man carrying a pink bucket and walking a pack mule.
What a sight. What a gift!
There, passing through an ordinary day, was Monk, also known as Mule Man. Naturally, I wanted to learn more.
His name is John Sears, although he prefers Mule or Monk. For more than four decades, he has traveled with mules through the American West. His early journeys were seasonal, with stretches of work in between. Over time, those journeys became his full-time way of life.
The name Monk reflects his simple, solitary, contemplative existence. Walking, living outdoors, and staying close to the natural world are central to his life. His website, 3Mules.com, speaks of the Earth as a living web to which we all belong.
But there is a purpose behind all that walking.
As roads, buildings, fences, and development spread across the landscape, Mule advocates for the space to travel at a human—and mule—pace. He has called for connected trails where people can walk, bicycle, and travel with animals. His journey raises a question: How much room are we leaving for ways of living that move differently from our own?
That life comes with challenges. On his website, he describes the daily work of finding food and water for his animals and a place to rest for the night. His travels have also brought encounters with authorities, citations, and arrests. Filmmaker John McDonald documented his journey in Call Me Mule, exploring his determination to live simply and defend his chosen way of life.
There is kindness along the road, too. People offer water, feed, and places to rest. His website shares stories of those encounters, reminding us how a stranger’s generosity can become part of someone else’s journey.
I keep thinking about the timing of his appearance. There we were, discussing how to bring art and beauty to a neighborhood corner, when something wonderfully unexpected walked into view.
A man. A pink bucket. A pack mule.
For a moment, those hoofbeats pulled my attention away from everything else. I was simply watching, curious and delighted.
Learning his story gave that moment even more meaning. Here was someone who has spent decades making daily choices about how he wants to live and how he wants to relate to the Earth.
You don’t have to travel with a mule to take something from that.
Maybe you step outside. Walk a little farther. Notice who shares the road. Make room for someone whose life looks different from yours.
And listen. You never know what might be coming around the corner.
To learn more about Monk and his travels, visit 3Mules.com.
