Anderson Lane hates commuting, maybe even his job. One morning, while waiting at a traffic light, he slips into a reflective moment and misses the signal when it changes to green. Angry motorists begin blowing their horns and one especially furious driver yells at him with a very angry voice, what are you waiting for?
It so rattles Anderson that he spends the remainder of his workday hearing the motorist's voice until the question becomes stuck in his mind and causes him to question his ordinary life of routine.
When his place of employment is unexpectedly bought out and he is granted early retirement (with a surprisingly generous severance package), he takes off on a cross-country road trip. He finds himself in rural Iowa, where he encounters people in need of a helping hand.
Given shelter from an approaching storm, Anderson first meets Virginia, a woman whose husband has disappeared. Then two women who have plans for Anderson's skills, later, a schoolboy struggling with trigonometry, a somewhat grouchy cookie maker, and finally, an old preacher who has lost all that is dear to him.
Armed with his engineering savvy, his DIY prowess, and the help of a mysterious organization, Anderson sets about helping his new acquaintances.
Along the way, he uncovers a disturbing truth: several people are being plagued by unscrupulous business dealings with a mysterious individual who seems to be unstoppable.
Can Anderson and his new circle of friends put an end to this menace? Can Anderson find meaning and purpose in his ordinary life?
