Donna Sch
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- VdLP-Sanabres-Fisterra '15; Levante-Invierno '19
Just curious about those days when something unexpected happens that has you contemplating the world in an unexpected way.
In 2015 while on the VdlP Australia announced that they would put in legislation that would make it illegal for me to report events such as abuse occuring to asylum seekers even though this is mandatory for non-asylum seekers. As a non-Australian citizen in Australia it really had me thinking about what what I was willing to risk as Aussie immigration legislation is very quick to deport people that are deemed to be of unsavoury character. With Aussie kids, an Aussie job, a mortgage etc there is more at stake for me than an Aussie doctor in the same situation. It really had me thinking about the meanings of courage and bravery and what the differences are between them.
In 2019, an Australian man living in NZ murdered many Muslim worshippers in a Christchurch mosque. He was living less than 30 minutes from my home town and Christchurch is where I went to medical school. I woke up to this news and it totally threw me. Kept misplacing things and getting distracted so it was a late start and a much shorter walk than normal. When terrorism occurs in familiar safe places, it really has you questioning things.
On the camino itself, arriving on 23 July 2015 on the VdlP and coming across the rail bridge above where the SdC train crash occurred was more emotional than arriving at the Cathedral. It was too easy to imagine the scene especially when so many people would be arriving for St James' Day. I knew of the accident but it was just another piece of news. Then being at the site made it so much more real especially with all the momentos and tributes there.
In 2015 while on the VdlP Australia announced that they would put in legislation that would make it illegal for me to report events such as abuse occuring to asylum seekers even though this is mandatory for non-asylum seekers. As a non-Australian citizen in Australia it really had me thinking about what what I was willing to risk as Aussie immigration legislation is very quick to deport people that are deemed to be of unsavoury character. With Aussie kids, an Aussie job, a mortgage etc there is more at stake for me than an Aussie doctor in the same situation. It really had me thinking about the meanings of courage and bravery and what the differences are between them.
In 2019, an Australian man living in NZ murdered many Muslim worshippers in a Christchurch mosque. He was living less than 30 minutes from my home town and Christchurch is where I went to medical school. I woke up to this news and it totally threw me. Kept misplacing things and getting distracted so it was a late start and a much shorter walk than normal. When terrorism occurs in familiar safe places, it really has you questioning things.
On the camino itself, arriving on 23 July 2015 on the VdlP and coming across the rail bridge above where the SdC train crash occurred was more emotional than arriving at the Cathedral. It was too easy to imagine the scene especially when so many people would be arriving for St James' Day. I knew of the accident but it was just another piece of news. Then being at the site made it so much more real especially with all the momentos and tributes there.
