gmag
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- frances 1998, 2000, 2013
Since -I think- December 29 I have not entered this forum again.
My abrupt departure, after so much enthusiasm, and several requests from some members to continue with the subject of
" Entertainment... How to look at a painting of ...", forces me to give an explanation. In order not to bore you with personal problems, different, but all come to us at the same time and all related, I summarize them in a few words:
-Notification that same last day day that we had to pay several thousand euros in taxes for the year. (This situation is not understandable after a year with 95% fewer pilgrims, therefore with little income and no money to pay it.)
-Despair and personal depression of mine to see the panic and pessimism that surrounds us on the street, in the country. The psychosis due to the virus in Spain is really unbearable . I don't share it to that extent.
-Lack of prospects for the near future of the Camino and lack of confidence in all those who decide about our future, without distinction of political parties, ideas, or countries.
The sudden union of these three things, and some more global events , has made me isolate myself from everyone, except my closest family nucleus, and study deeply the situation calmly and with really professional and independent information sources about the covid. In my opinion, we are in this world to give well-being, and if possible happiness, to all those around us. This is what my parents taught me when I was a child, some 60 years ago. They told me one day -that I remember very well, being about 10 or 11 years old-, that God gives each one of us different capacities, which we are obliged to share with the others.
That phrase has always resonated in my head, and I am happy to believe in it. At the same time, they taught me not to burden others with my material problems, but to seek a solution for them or to ask for help or advice from my closest family or friends, if I don't have it in myself.
For now I have recovered my spirit, we have somehow solved some problems, or we have created the rational way to do it. This allows me to re-establish personal contacts and relationships.
These months, the last two of "mental and spiritual retreat", and the last 12 of “forced labor retreat”, my wife and I have used to improve our home, our albergue, our children's school life, our family life, our artistic life and our art shop, even our garden (we have finally been able to plant grass, an apple tree and a pear tree!, which has given us some happiness too). It has been a very good therapy. Anita is positive in any circumstance, she is Dutch, that is, she smiles whatever happens and she has the character of the invincible, nothing can beat her.
We have come to the Camino de Santiago with the philosophy of living our new life as a true Camino, in which each one carries their own backpack, their own tendonitis, their own blisters, and there are ups and downs and ups again and we know that the Camino is pain, struggle, overcoming, and always feel in movement towards Santiago, that is why we have not felt at any time defeated, nor will we feel it as long as we have the strength to fight and trust in ourselves, in Santiago (we have enough evidence that he is very close to us) and in God , who is the one who finally decides, and I hope, and I believe, that he will not abandon us. At least if we deserve it. And to deserve it, I think, we must continue believing in Him and fighting for ourselves and for what surrounds us.
If after this I am forgiven for leaving you without without responding to the last messages, without saying goodbye or see you soon, another weight will be lifted from my conscience.
My abrupt departure, after so much enthusiasm, and several requests from some members to continue with the subject of
" Entertainment... How to look at a painting of ...", forces me to give an explanation. In order not to bore you with personal problems, different, but all come to us at the same time and all related, I summarize them in a few words:
-Notification that same last day day that we had to pay several thousand euros in taxes for the year. (This situation is not understandable after a year with 95% fewer pilgrims, therefore with little income and no money to pay it.)
-Despair and personal depression of mine to see the panic and pessimism that surrounds us on the street, in the country. The psychosis due to the virus in Spain is really unbearable . I don't share it to that extent.
-Lack of prospects for the near future of the Camino and lack of confidence in all those who decide about our future, without distinction of political parties, ideas, or countries.
The sudden union of these three things, and some more global events , has made me isolate myself from everyone, except my closest family nucleus, and study deeply the situation calmly and with really professional and independent information sources about the covid. In my opinion, we are in this world to give well-being, and if possible happiness, to all those around us. This is what my parents taught me when I was a child, some 60 years ago. They told me one day -that I remember very well, being about 10 or 11 years old-, that God gives each one of us different capacities, which we are obliged to share with the others.
That phrase has always resonated in my head, and I am happy to believe in it. At the same time, they taught me not to burden others with my material problems, but to seek a solution for them or to ask for help or advice from my closest family or friends, if I don't have it in myself.
For now I have recovered my spirit, we have somehow solved some problems, or we have created the rational way to do it. This allows me to re-establish personal contacts and relationships.
These months, the last two of "mental and spiritual retreat", and the last 12 of “forced labor retreat”, my wife and I have used to improve our home, our albergue, our children's school life, our family life, our artistic life and our art shop, even our garden (we have finally been able to plant grass, an apple tree and a pear tree!, which has given us some happiness too). It has been a very good therapy. Anita is positive in any circumstance, she is Dutch, that is, she smiles whatever happens and she has the character of the invincible, nothing can beat her.
We have come to the Camino de Santiago with the philosophy of living our new life as a true Camino, in which each one carries their own backpack, their own tendonitis, their own blisters, and there are ups and downs and ups again and we know that the Camino is pain, struggle, overcoming, and always feel in movement towards Santiago, that is why we have not felt at any time defeated, nor will we feel it as long as we have the strength to fight and trust in ourselves, in Santiago (we have enough evidence that he is very close to us) and in God , who is the one who finally decides, and I hope, and I believe, that he will not abandon us. At least if we deserve it. And to deserve it, I think, we must continue believing in Him and fighting for ourselves and for what surrounds us.
If after this I am forgiven for leaving you without without responding to the last messages, without saying goodbye or see you soon, another weight will be lifted from my conscience.
..., you were a great companion to all of us in the adventure of discovering Velazquez together, and I have to find something that is interesting enough and difficult enough ..., in any case, thanks also to you for the sympathetic reception !!! See you soon with something new...
... I'm glad you're still on time!
