Why
are we doing this? Joan & I are about to set off on a walking pilgrimage on
the Camino de Santiago in Spain that will cover 500 miles and take us two
months. "Why" is a really good question and one
that each of us is trying to answer – to our family, friends and especially to ourselves.
Like much else in life, this quest has many layers of meaning, both universal
and personal. Finding a perspective – a place from which to look at what's happening to, and around us, and give it some sort of meaning – is hard but it’s a subject that seems to
be well suited to mulling over on the long training walks I’ve been talking
to get physically ready for this adventure. Most of the walks I’ve been doing over the past six
months have been with Joan but recently she’s been really busy with per-departure work & family activities, so I’ve been doing my eight to ten mile walks
alone. In Spain we plan on making daily hikes of about 10-12 miles and carrying a
backpack weighing about 13 pounds, although the distance will depend on
terrain, distance between towns and the weather.
Here’s
what I’ve come up with so far as finding a perspective on the "why" question. There are at least
four components – viewpoints, if you will – to the matrix I’m thinking about applying (I sound like an analytical nerd or an
engineer, don’t I?).My
shorthand name for how I hope to look at what happens to us is GIRLS. Before
you jump to the obvious (and wrong) conclusion, let me explain. I’m talking
about this:
- · Giving
- · Receiving
- · Learning
- · “Sparkles”
That’s
what the acronym GIRLS means - a way to look at what experiences we have during
a period on the Camino.
GI - What did I give of myself to people-
to other perigrinos or people living in the space I pass through on my journey. A kind
word, encouragement, food or drink will do. Or something bigger like offering some
of myself to a new friendship or experience.
R – This may be the flip side of giving
or it could be my awareness of an experience that has “stuck” or
been especially meaningful to me that day (or night). Perhaps hearing the
Gregorian chants at the Santo Domingo monastery in Silos near Burgos, being in
the place where El Cid once stood or perhaps walking on 2,000 year old Roman
roads. It could be from a conversation with others or just recognition of some bit of the wisdom of the ages.
L – My mother once told me (actually,
she told me many times) that her secret to a long and fulfilling life was two-fold: always
be curious about life and try to keep a positive attitude. Since she lived 101
years and enjoyed almost all of it, I figure being curious is all about
learning new things all the time. Having a calcified mind and outlook on life
is a sure way to get both broken. I’m think I’m really going to try to learn some
passable Spanish and dig deeply into some – as yet unknown – aspect of the Camino
experience.
S – “Sparkles”. That’s the things that
happen that make a moment special and stick forever in your memory and
mind. It could be big, like making it to the top of the Col de Lepoeder and
seeing Roncesvalles lying far below in the twilight after climbing up 4,000
feet in the Pyrenees Mountains. It could be a small thing like a thirst-quenching sweet drink
from the fountain in a small town square after a long hot afternoon walking on the flat
& endless plains. Or maybe the sparkle will just be seeing a butterfly land on a flower
while I’m resting by the side of the road or talking over tapas to a fellow-pilgrim
and ending up with a unexpected moment of soul-mate recognition. The funny thing is, you know “sparkles’ when they
happen.
My
son Steve gave me a very light & small Olympus voice recorder last weekend at
a family multi-birthday party & clambake we had at our home in Arundel. I plan
to use it to capture our thoughts and impressions over the next two months using
the GIRLS framework as a model. If this Camino does turn out to be a
transformational experience for Joan and me, I want to have a coherent way to describe
the experience and what happened to my family and friends. We will be bringing
a small Panasonic camera as well, so hopefully there will be pictures to go
with the words. Let’s see what happens!
