| Total This Camino: | 0 miles. |
| Total 2023 Caminos: | 0 miles |
| Total All Caminos: | 1735 miles |
| Planes: | $ 1350 |
| Total Planes: | $ 1350 |
Random Thought of the Day
Imagine you are driving in the right lane of a busy expressway. Someone in the on-ramp wants to enter the expressway. Do you speed up to cut them off? Do you slow down because the driver is unpredictable? Or do you keep a steady speed?
A pilgrim is less about speeding up and slowing down, jostling through melee of life, and more about traveling in the world in a way that helps others. On my caminos, the pilgrims that stood out most in later recollections, shared moments of contemplation, solace, companionship and generosity.
I remember fondly some of the pilgrims that I’ve met over the years.
English Mick laughed … a lot.
American Cathy struggled … and persevered … succeeded.
Bienve lit up in the joy that Marie Angeles - his camino amiga, his “camiga”, brought to his life.
My Via de la Plata in 2014 ended in physically painful consequences. It took multiple attempts to merge into the camino spirit and land me in a mentally good place.
These are the gifts I brought back to America to share, especially with the transitory people in my life. I see that they are living, with varying degrees of success, their own “pilgrimage” as they try to survive the remnants of Covid and its devastating effects on the economy, daily life, family and friends.
A new direction in my life comes with a sense of calm for the trivialities and banalities of daily living … to wit, driving. I now extend grace to those on the road who are in a hurry or inattentive. I no longer rage and fume at being cut-off or stuck behind slow drivers. Because Mick and Cathy and Bienve and all the other pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago offered me compassion and understanding, I know that the behavior of others is a reflection on their lives, and has little or nothing to do with me. As I disengage from the chance encounter in traffic, I wish them well.
Overtly religious or not, I take a deep breath or two, a second or two of reflection and momentary shivasana as a form of prayer. … And then I go on about my business, happy in my life.
 | A moment of rest, refreshment and reflection Dec 5, 2022 Along the Munchner Jakobsweg, Diessen Am Ammersee, Bavaria, Germany |
As I age, I totally agree with your philosophy. I fine that hiking contributes so much so developing and maintaining that peaceful center. Good luck and may your adventures be interesting. Ann B.
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