A 'Newbie' question.

[Rev Anthony]

Hello everyone, I have been 'Spiritually' pushed, shoved, badgered to walk the Camino. My plan is to walk the 'Short' Camino from Sarria-Santiargo as I will be 76 yrs of age when I do this next April. I will probably join a group and have my luggage tranferred to the next stop etc. As a 'Newbie' on this wonderfully informative site and very interested in all of you, my question is a simple one.....................

Why or What made you walk your first Camino.

 

[Robo]

That is NOT a simple question.
Let the fun begin

 

[Madeleine Jacobs]

Dear Rev Anthony, my feedback would be that you do the camino for yourself, to break free temporarily from all the demands in modern life, to make yourself whole again, aligning your spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual self.

I recommend to you the book from Hape Kerkeling “Ich bin dann mal weg” that I just finished reading (also available in English and on Kindle). It is totally enjoyable (lol to the square, I was sad to finish the book, just like the author and his friends were sad nearing SDC and ending their camino) and I have seen no better reflection of what the Camino can do for you and mean for you.

I wish you a buen camino!

 

[William Krueger]

Hello everyone, I have been 'Spiritually' pushed, shoved, badgered to walk the Camino. My plan is to walk the 'Short' Camino from Sarria-Santiargo as I will be 76 yrs of age when I do this next April. I will probably join a group and have my luggage tranferred to the next stop etc. As a 'Newbie' on this wonderfully informative site and very interested in all of you, my question is a simple one.....................

Why or What made you walk your first Camino.

On a Lark. A neighbor who is a surgeon and ex Catholic priest was doing the Portuguese and asked me to go along. Glad I did, a wonderful experience. Taking my wife to do the Sarrea to Santiago next year. Buen Camino

 

[Mettetäti]

I went there to have a break from everyday life. I work with people who have psychiatric problems, so think of being every day responsible, helping, listening, guiding...And I have a person in my family who is ill, so also being responsible, helping, listening at home too every day... you know the tune. I love it but on Camino I get a break. Just for me. The first time I walked a month, now two weeks every spring.

What gave me the idea was a Netflix Document Footprints. I'm not catholic, but when I 'accidently' saw this, I just knew I had to go.

 

[Turga]

my question is a simple one.....................

Why or What made you walk your first Camino.

I guess that’s just about the most complex question you could ask

People walk for many different reasons ranging from deep religious callings to just having a jolly walk with friends and anything in between those extremes.

I think you have to decide for yourself what your motives are -and be prepared that these may change on the way.....

 

[steve 217]

Dear Rev.
I have been repeatedly called back to the Camino in the last 9 years and for different and varying reasons, as i imagine everyone has .
To put it into a single sentence is difficult but in an effort to do exactly that.
When i am on the Camino i am a better version of myself ,
I return to revisit that person.
Hope you have great Camino, i walked in June with my 80 year old Mother from Sarria to Santiago as she was sick of me going endlessly on about it , we had a Blast.
Buen Camino may you find out what led you to the Camino and i hope back again.

 

[TSchulen]

If you think you know "why?" when you start, it will probably not be the same reason when you finish.

 

[TatiLie]

I was looking for myself, the happy person I remember I was once. (I found her, she walked with me everyday, and that's why I want to go back so I can have her company again)

 

[SeñorJacques]

When i am on the Camino i am a better version of myself ,
I return to revisit that person.

Fellow newbie here! I haven't yet taken my first Camno but @steve 217's quote best captures my motivation for doing so and what I hope to experience. Thank you both for sharing!

 

[hel&scott]

Because it was there.

 

[Kanga]

The idea lodged in my brain and would not go away. I wanted to physically express the gratitude I felt for my life. Or at least that is what I thought I was doing. It turned out to be infinitely more complicated.

 

[Anniesantiago]

My doctor prescribed "long distance walking" to chelate the chemicals after I was diagnosed with MCS. My partner at the time was a Catholic and knew of the Camino - he offered to walk with me in 2006 and 6 weeks later I felt human again. I've walked nearly every year since. So for me, it began for health reasons, and quickly turned into a love for the Spanish people and country.

 

[Robo]

Why or What made you walk your first Camino.

The short version..........
I saw the movie The Way and was immediately drawn to it.
It seemed to be just what I needed.
Time Out, Unplugged, Alone, to reflect on my life's purpose, my relationships with others, to 'find' my true self, perhaps find God.....

I found everything I was looking for........and more.
Some of it I brought home.
Some still can only be found amongst those paths in Spain.............. so I go back.
It's now where I feel most 'me' as someone called it above.

 

[Rev Anthony]

Dear Rev Anthony, my feedback would be that you do the camino for yourself, to break free temporarily from all the demands in modern life, to make yourself whole again, aligning your spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual self.

I recommend to you the book from Hape Kerkeling “Ich bin dann mal weg” that I just finished reading (also available in English and on Kindle). It is totally enjoyable (lol to the square, I was sad to finish the book, just like the author and his friends were sad nearing SDC and ending their camino) and I have seen no better reflection of what the Camino can do for you and mean for you.

I wish you a buen camino!

 

[Rev Anthony]

Hello Madeleine, Thank you for your post. I downloaded 'Ich Bin Dann Weg' by Hape Kerkeling, (I'm off then!) - English version, onto my Kindle fire and I'm already on page 87. A really good read and also very funny. Although it was 2001 when he walked the Camino. Many thanks, Tony

 

[Rev Anthony]

Thank you all for your input, please keep it coming. It's a really fascinating insight into the reasons that urged you all to walk the Camino. Thank you all so very much.

 

[Aidan21]

Within 2 minutes of first hearing about it, I just had a deep inner feeling that I would be going. So I did. I have been going back as often as I can since I first walked in 2013. And for as long as I have the good health I will go back as often as I can. On the Camino, I can be me. I am mentally and emotionally free.

 

[Isobeljc]

We first heard of the Camino from a client In the early 2000’s when she walked. In 2017 my husband listened to an interview about a women who took her disabled sons on it. He said to me, how about we walk the Camino??
Six weeks later we were in SJPP.

Timing is everything. We had closed our business of 20 years and my husband finished his year of being President of our Rotary Club. When one of our friends was killed crossing the road it pushed us to go. We had no idea it would become part of our soul.

Life is short and it’s a big fantastic world out there.....

 

[Juspassinthru]

Rev.,

Welcome and enjoy your Camino. Fear not your age, while crossing from France to Spain on the CF, I walked for a short while with an 82 year young German Pilgrim walking his 4th Camino, round trip.
Now to your question. What made me walk my first Camino? The answer is boring. A better question would be, what made me walk my second?

 

[jsalt]

by Hape Kerkeling, (I'm off then!) - English version

It's the American version, not English - translated to miles and dollars (which makes no sense in Europe) instead of kilometres and euros. Be aware that the camino has changed A LOT since this book was written 18 years ago. Note that he constantly puts down albergues but never ever stays in one, so he has no first hand experience. Anyway, enjoy the read - he's a comedian after all . . . .

 

[Rev Anthony]

Dear Rev Anthony, my feedback would be that you do the camino for yourself, to break free temporarily from all the demands in modern life, to make yourself whole again, aligning your spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual self.

I recommend to you the book from Hape Kerkeling “Ich bin dann mal weg” that I just finished reading (also available in English and on Kindle). It is totally enjoyable (lol to the square, I was sad to finish the book, just like the author and his friends were sad nearing SDC and ending their camino) and I have seen no better reflection of what the Camino can do for you and mean for you.

I wish you a buen camino!

 

[Rev Anthony]

Hello Madeleine, I am now two thirds of the way through 'Hapes' book - I was very interested in some that he wrote which was:-
"Lara (from Vancouver) tells me that she has stopped taking photos of herself. She says that every photo shows her in the same outer clothing, so she always looks the same. That is the very same reason that I also have stopped taking pictures of myself. It's funny, at home you look different on the outside with each new day, yet on the inside, you stay virtually the same. Here on the Camino, you're always the same on the outside, but on the inside, you change by the hour."
Now that's a pretty profound statement, don't you think? Regards, Tony

 

[Rev Anthony]

Rev.,

Welcome and enjoy your Camino. Fear not your age, while crossing from France to Spain on the CF, I walked for a short while with an 82 year young German Pilgrim walking his 4th Camino, round trip.
Now to your question. What made me walk my first Camino? The answer is boring. A better question would be, what made me walk my second?

Rev.,

Welcome and enjoy your Camino. Fear not your age, while crossing from France to Spain on the CF, I walked for a short while with an 82 year young German Pilgrim walking his 4th Camino, round trip.
Now to your question. What made me walk my first Camino? The answer is boring. A better question would be, what made me walk my second?

So what made you walk your second????

 

[Dromengro]

I wish I could remember.

 

[Rev Anthony]

I wish I could remember.

Hello Dromengo, If you ever remember, I would LOVE to hear your reply!! Best Regards, Tony

 

[Juspassinthru]

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.

 

[Rev Anthony]

Thank you so very much. I truly loved reading your article and I thank you for sharing your experience with me (and anyone else that cares to read your post) Maybe tomorrow I will write my own story, but it would be quite long..... From attempting suicide (twice) in early 1988, have a Damacian conversion sitting on a soaking wet bench. Going from being a truck driver for over 27 years to working as a porter in a hospital. To travelling out to Romania with an old Volvo car and hired trailer filled with aid. Arriving at the orphanage of the 'Co-workers of Mother Teresa' and actually coming face to face with her and spending the entire day in her company, To end up heading 186 (Yes, 186) convoys of humanitarian to Romania and the former Yugoslavia and finally ending up opening centres for impoverished families and the handicapped in the Ukraine. It's quite a story, so maybe I will write it. Bless you, Tony

 

[Juspassinthru]

Thank you so very much. I truly loved reading your article and I thank you for sharing your experience with me (and anyone else that cares to read your post) Maybe tomorrow I will write my own story, but it would be quite long..... From attempting suicide (twice) in early 1988, have a Damacian conversion sitting on a soaking wet bench. Going from being a truck driver for over 27 years to working as a porter in a hospital. To travelling out to Romania with an old Volvo car and hired trailer filled with aid. Arriving at the orphanage of the 'Co-workers of Mother Teresa' and actually coming face to face with her and spending the entire day in her company, To end up heading 186 (Yes, 186) convoys of humanitarian to Romania and the former Yugoslavia and finally ending up opening centres for impoverished families and the handicapped in the Ukraine. It's quite a story, so maybe I will write it. Bless you, Tony

Tony, thank you for sharing part of your story, you should write your story.

 

[Madeleine Jacobs]

Hello Madeleine, I am now two thirds of the way through 'Hapes' book - I was very interested in some that he wrote which was:-
"Lara (from Vancouver) tells me that she has stopped taking photos of herself. She says that every photo shows her in the same outer clothing, so she always looks the same. That is the very same reason that I also have stopped taking pictures of myself. It's funny, at home you look different on the outside with each new day, yet on the inside, you stay virtually the same. Here on the Camino, you're always the same on the outside, but on the inside, you change by the hour."
Now that's a pretty profound statement, don't you think? Regards, Tony

Hi Tony, I walk the Camino in sections of 9 days, because I cannot leave my family and my work for an extended period. It is a great adventure and excitement each time, but the mental part is different from walking the Camino for a longer time. So I have not experienced strong mood swings. For me it is just great to walk, the adventure on my own, the nature of Spain and getting away from my strenuous but interesting desk job. I am actually escaping for one last long week this year to the Camino on 17/11 (🌧/?), walking this time Logrono to Burgos.

 

[Rev Anthony]

In reply to 'Justpassingthrough'
This only part of my story, but the most important part.:-
Firstly, I have to say that I am not a Catholic, but things have happened in the past that link me firmly into the ‘Feminine aspect’ of God. This began after I took a convoy of humanitarian aid to the village of Gruda, up in the mountains above Dubrovnik in Croatia. I had a convoy of over 30 vehicles and when we arrived in the village, the shelling from Serbia, only a kilometre away, was quite intensive. The village had taken a huge pounding and not many houses were left intact. The church in the centre of the village had been hit and as we all stood looking at the damage around us, the door of the church opened and an elderly nun stood looking at us. She was wearing a black habit, covered in dust, probably from her cleaning the inside of the church. She pointed to us and beckoned us with her finger to go over to her. As we began moving, she motioned to us to stop and then pointed at me. She wanted me to go over to her and not the rest of the group, so I told everyone to stay where they was, but to keep their heads down in case any more shells arrived.
This elderly nun, rather tiny, only coming up to my shoulder, took me by the hand and we entered the church. The ‘Stations of the cross’ had been used as target practice and someone had defecated on the alter. The pews were wrecked and I was really saddened by the destruction. Then, still holding my hand, she took me to the side of the church and opened a door into a rather small room. Standing in the centre was an alabaster statue of the Virgin Mary. Someone with a bayonet had gauged out her eyes and I was so upset by this act, I wept. She allowed me to take a photograph (attached) and we sat on a bench, her still holding my hand, she allowed me to compose myself.
At no time did she every utter a single word to me, and as we left the church, I noticed directly opposite from where we were standing, the remains of a house, recently bombed. It was February and minus 8 on my outside temperature gauge in my van, but sticking out of the snow of this ruined house was a single yellow rose. It had no right to be there and I let go of the nun’s hand, walked across and climbed up onto the rubble and plucked the rose from it’s stem. I returned to the church and the nun, now smiling, opened the door for me to enter the church again. I returned to the small room and placed the rose in the hand of the statue. I guess it was a way of me saying, “I’m sorry for they did to you.” At no time did this nun ever speak a single word and to this day, I have often wondered just who she was.
It was about two years later that I took a convoy of vehicles into Mostar, a city that had been under siege for over 5 months. We were the first ‘outsiders’ to reach Mostar and the trip was not without it’s dangers, but we made it, taking in food and medical supplies to the hospital. When we left, we headed for Medugorie, a village that has been a pilgrims centre since 5 children had a vision of the Virgin Mary. We were going to stay the night before heading back home and whilst there, I decided to visit the church. I sat right at the back, just sitting with my eyes closed and giving thanks for our safe journey in and out of Mostar. As I sat I ‘saw’ a white light coming slowly up the centre of the church from the alter, towards me. I told myself not to open my eyes, but just sit still. The white light got closer and closer until I could actually feel the warmth coming from it. Then two very soft hands touched the top of my head. “Sweet Tony, thank you for the rose.”
It had been two years since I had been in Gruda. A new convoy setting out of the first Tuesday of every month. I had not thought much about the statue and the rose since then. But now, it all came flooding back to me. That ‘voice’ always using, “Sweet Tony’ has often ‘spoken’ to me and I have been so richly blessed. As I said at the beginning, I am not a catholic, but totally linked to the ‘Feminine aspect’ of God and I honestly believe that in my own mind, I have got it right.
Next April is when I intend to walk the 'short' Camino from Sarria to Santiargo Compestela. I will try with every ounce of energy I possess, to complete this journey. God willing, I will be able to stand in front of the Cathedral and link my thoughts to that statue in Gruda and say, "I did it for you."
Bless you, Tony