When I met my wife in Santiago she asked me if I was a changed man after the Camino, I told her no, I was still the same cranky old sod that left five weeks earlier. I did not believe the Camino had changed me, I loved doing it, I loved meeting all the different people, some of whom I am still friends with, I hated the journey coming to an end. It was only much later that I saw the subtle changes the Camino had made on me, the Camino and indeed this forum and the people on it with whom I interact on a regular basis. It made me want to be a better person.
A while ago I met my doctor while out walking, he walks the same route as me, and he asked me the same question, did the Camino change you, this time I said yes, I realised that if I lost all my possessions, except for my walking gear and pack, I knew I would survive and that the possessions did not mean as much to me any more. He said that he thought that the Camino routine had started to reveal my “true spirit” and that this often happens when people strip everything back to the bare basics.
I have thought long and hard about this conversation in the last few weeks and I think he is right. Our true spirit begins to be covered or tarnished by consumerism and all the “must haves” we encounter in our lives and with what life throws at us sometimes. I think it starts even much earlier now, especially with children, sweets at the checkout counter that they must have, Christmas toys that are advertised as early as August/September that they must have, mobile phones, tablets and x boxes are burying their true spirits.
I came to the simplistic conclusion that our true spirits are like the headlights of a car, if you take care of the car the lights will shine brightly but if you take it off road and abuse it the lights will get coated in mud and grime and the lights will dim and will eventually be concealed.
Reb made a remark in a post a while back about the OP, saying " After all that trail-time, I bet you are scrubbed clean and pressed sharp on the inside!" and this remark hit the nail on the head for me, I think I had to strip away a lifetime of grime and try and let my true spirit shine again. I’m not there yet by any stretch of the imagination, but I will continue to try.
Thank you all for helping to clean my car.
Edit: Rebs actual remark.
A while ago I met my doctor while out walking, he walks the same route as me, and he asked me the same question, did the Camino change you, this time I said yes, I realised that if I lost all my possessions, except for my walking gear and pack, I knew I would survive and that the possessions did not mean as much to me any more. He said that he thought that the Camino routine had started to reveal my “true spirit” and that this often happens when people strip everything back to the bare basics.
I have thought long and hard about this conversation in the last few weeks and I think he is right. Our true spirit begins to be covered or tarnished by consumerism and all the “must haves” we encounter in our lives and with what life throws at us sometimes. I think it starts even much earlier now, especially with children, sweets at the checkout counter that they must have, Christmas toys that are advertised as early as August/September that they must have, mobile phones, tablets and x boxes are burying their true spirits.
I came to the simplistic conclusion that our true spirits are like the headlights of a car, if you take care of the car the lights will shine brightly but if you take it off road and abuse it the lights will get coated in mud and grime and the lights will dim and will eventually be concealed.
Reb made a remark in a post a while back about the OP, saying " After all that trail-time, I bet you are scrubbed clean and pressed sharp on the inside!" and this remark hit the nail on the head for me, I think I had to strip away a lifetime of grime and try and let my true spirit shine again. I’m not there yet by any stretch of the imagination, but I will continue to try.
Thank you all for helping to clean my car.
Edit: Rebs actual remark.
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