So what made you walk your second????
Rev A,
If you’re interested, this may take a while but, here we go.
As a Humanist, I thought that I was going to walk the Camino Francés for the love of the outdoors, my love of history, some alone time, to meet interesting people, to disconnect from technology a bit and maybe to meditate and reflect on the first ½ of my life. I’d specifically chosen the year of my 60th birthday to mark this milestone.
My journey took me far further than my hopes and expectations. The people I met, the friendships made with people from around the world (many still in place), the stories I heard both good and sad provided me with a glimpse of humanity and of my place in it that I had not expected.
As I sat, overlooking the vast gray Atlantic from the lighthouse in Finisterre, I realized that I had not completed my Camino, I’d only just started it. That revelation, now 2.5 years past is still with me and I’ve begun to explore the concept of Spirituality and how it fits with a non-believer.
From the moment I returned from Spain in July 2017, I knew that I would be returning. Which route, what date, would my wife kill me, were all unclear but, I knew that I would again walk the Camino. I suppose that there’s nothing magical about Spain and the Camino but, the history and the people, most seeking something, even if we didn’t or don’t know it, certainly contributed to the overall environment. Being stripped bare of possessions is humbling and an equalizer. For me, anyway.
This last summer, I returned to Spain to walk the Camino Inglés, a far more solitary Way than the Francés which was perfect. From the time I left Ferrol, I had time to think about my Spirituality, probably now more aligned with the teachings of Buddha than that of Christianity but, I know that we share far more in common than not. In my poem,
The Pilgrim, which I wrote after my return in 2017, I wrote: “
Questioning all that I know and believe and was taught”. As I walked, I had time to think about just that.
I also had the opportunity to catch up with friends after I completed the Inglés and to walk with them from León to Sarria where we all, once again, scattered to the winds. This opportunity to discuss my thoughts with people who cared, questioned and shared their experiences helped me process my own thoughts.
So, I went on my second Camino on a search, a quest. Maybe a bit of Don Quixote in me and I realize that I will return again, still searching, discovering and exploring. My second Camino was very personal maybe a bit selfish but in a positive way. I know that I have a very different view of people and the world (and my place in it) than I did before.
I hope I didn’t bore you. Thank you for asking. Finally, any typos are unintentional, fat fingers and an iPhone are incompatible.