Thoughts on the Camino
For all three caminos, I've ended up in the albergue on my last night or two by myself. It's almost as if the Camino is giving me the time to reflect on my life out here, away from the beautiful times of camaraderie, without the distraction of human interaction. In my younger years I would be disappointed or lonely or afraid to find myself without human dynamics … but not here. Once again on the Camino, I met wonderful people and came away with fun, frivolous and fantastic memories.
I always loved this dialog from Bladerunner.
“I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
The character is about to die, and realizes that his life is unfulfilled, meaningless and without greater purpose. If there is one thing that I have learned walking The Way of St James, we have a purpose. It changes over time .. It goes left when it should have gone right … it's painful but it also brings great pleasure. Mine is filled with the glory of a son and his family, the love of grandkids, the compassion of my family and the love of a woman in all its good ways.
Even as I write this, the Camino works its wonders. I spent all day with nothing to say, and was sitting in this restaurant, ready to leave. The waitress brought a menu, I ordered, and as she left, the words, thoughts, and feelings suddenly gushed out faster than I could capture them. … and now that feeling - transitory, illusory, magical - is gone as fast as it came. But there is a difference.
I will not let these memories and experiences “be lost like teardrops in rain. “ My purpose is to share them, maybe going left instead of right … maybe going back one step after going forward two … but making those decisions for myself.
