Ted Butler passed through El Dorado Tuesday on his way. While his destination may not sound unusual, the nature of his trip is a different matter. That’s because Butler is walking; part of a coast-to-coast endeavor to meet people across the United States and discuss building human unity as a species.

Butler set out from Santa Monica, Calif., and has his sights set on the World Trade Center site in New York. This isn’t the first time he’s attempted his current goal, but an injury kept him from being able to properly finish before.

His coming through El Dorado and Kansas in general marks the rough half-way point on his journey. He ventured south to Dallas, before coming to El Dorado and is now bearing north for Chicago, from where he’ll turn toward his final destination.

Butler described the philosophy he’s set out to share as simple overall and something deeper underneath.

“I’m trying to find a new perspective that will enable a new direction for humanity,” he said.

He said he is trying to create a stimulus to make people reassess themselves personally and how they work with others toward the greater goal of unifying people in their relationships.

“That’s what the world is really: a giant web of relationships,” he said. “Everywhere we go people have this bias to self. We need to learn more about who we are to end divisiveness and bring unity. We should embody a sense of unity that we’re all inherently connected by. In the modern age, we’ve expanded out, but we’ve also become more divided.

“It’s generated some unprecedented global occurrences. We’ve changed far faster than our ability to understand how we’ve changed and how that affects us. I’m trying to find a greater sense of who I am, who we are and what we can be together.”

With a 40-pound pack and limited supplies, Butler has learned to overcome the physical and psychological hardships the lifestyle of the road has imposed. That has been eased in part by the kindness of strangers he has met on the road who’ve offered food and lodging.

His phone has also become an important tool, which allows him to access his Web site, talkingaboutus.com, and keep those following his trip updated on his progress, as well as access Google maps to track destinations during his journey.

With his Web site, Butler said he has to face a greater challenge than any he faces on the road: writing. Despite numerous lapses of time that have sometimes occurred between updates, he said he is working on his writing skill and that skill is one of many aspects he feels he is improving  throughout his trek.

Reaction to his message has been mixed but generally positive. Butler said the main barrier he’s run into is an element of self-guarding in people, the very one he’s hoping to break down in his pursuit to forge better communication between people. As he sets out on the latter leg of his journey, Butler hopes to build on what progress he’s made toward achieving a brighter future.