- Time of past OR future Camino
- First one in 2005 from Moissac, France.
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Hi all - I do not fill my world with possessions, never have; I see possessions as possessing me, not the other way round (though I do have a small suitcase filled with memorabilia, lots of drawings from when the children were small and so on), and I do a monthly clear-out of read books and anything else that has 'crept in', taking them all to the charity shop for someone else to own.
Now, here's the point of my post - decades ago I took my step-daughter on a hike along the coastal path round St David's Head in Wales (bit of a bonding exercise). She was ten and I explained that we would have to carry our own things and share the tent and camping equipment load.
She packed VAST amounts of stuff and my wife argued that I should carry all the camping things and a lot of her things. I resisted and insisted that she only take what she needed and that she would carry her share of the camping (not quite true, I knew I would quietly carry all the heavy stuff). After some interesting and loud histrionics mother and child finally gave in and set about reducing her needs to what was only needed.
Well, we had a marvellous time, absolutely marvellous. But here is the thing. With no mention whatsoever about it, about a week or so later she went into her bedroom and completely cleared it of all the things she no longer needed. Now, she had clothes she had kept from five years old that she could never wear again, shelves filled with trinkets, who knows what stuffed under the bed, piles of old toys, and so on - she was a keeper.
But that ten days away, carrying only what she needed altered her inside - her world-view had changed - and with no external input she just went ahead and cleared it all (filling a small suitcase with favourite memorabilia which she kept and which she still has)
that day I invented a new word "umulate" - the opposite of "accumulate" ..... and my question to you is ..
"has this happened to you since your Camino?" Did you umulate? Do you still umulate? Or did you fall back into your accumulation possessions filled home with delight and relief?????
Tell all
]I'm happier now than I have been in at least five years as I haven't just cut free of the material things but also the people (or rather, person) that had made me unhappy.
In the movie, Heat, Robert de Niro gives his younger accomplice some advice. Never have anything in your life you cant walk out on in thirty seconds flat. I'm not quite at that stage but having a pared down life is lovely.
Until 6 years ago, I had been an accumulator for most of my life, but, two road trips to the US plus a fair bit of backpacking, very soon cured me of any desire whatever to remain an accumulator forever, and, after walking the Camino Frances last year, I have become even more of an umulator than before......I do have to admit though, that there are are couple of areas in my life where accumulation IS allowed, and that is in my studio - I collect glass, old tiles and china etc to feed my Mosaic Art work......I also collect old bottles.....but in all other areas, life is much simpler and easier....Hi all - I do not fill my world with possessions, never have; I see possessions as possessing me, not the other way round (though I do have a small suitcase filled with memorabilia, lots of drawings from when the children were small and so on), and I do a monthly clear-out of read books and anything else that has 'crept in', taking them all to the charity shop for someone else to own.
Now, here's the point of my post - decades ago I took my step-daughter on a hike along the coastal path round St David's Head in Wales (bit of a bonding exercise). She was ten and I explained that we would have to carry our own things and share the tent and camping equipment load.
She packed VAST amounts of stuff and my wife argued that I should carry all the camping things and a lot of her things. I resisted and insisted that she only take what she needed and that she would carry her share of the camping (not quite true, I knew I would quietly carry all the heavy stuff). After some interesting and loud histrionics mother and child finally gave in and set about reducing her needs to what was only needed.
Well, we had a marvellous time, absolutely marvellous. But here is the thing. With no mention whatsoever about it, about a week or so later she went into her bedroom and completely cleared it of all the things she no longer needed. Now, she had clothes she had kept from five years old that she could never wear again, shelves filled with trinkets, who knows what stuffed under the bed, piles of old toys, and so on - she was a keeper.
But that ten days away, carrying only what she needed altered her inside - her world-view had changed - and with no external input she just went ahead and cleared it all (filling a small suitcase with favourite memorabilia which she kept and which she still has)
that day I invented a new word "umulate" - the opposite of "accumulate" ..... and my question to you is ..
"has this happened to you since your Camino?" Did you umulate? Do you still umulate? Or did you fall back into your accumulation possessions filled home with delight and relief?????
Tell all
I love what you have written about your boots Al ......good move indeed.I became an umulator the easy way - divorce is a great umulation exercise! I have not accumulated since (other than money, which seems to stretch much further for some reason). The only real problem that all we pilgrims suffer from though is boots! How can you bear to umulate those faithful friends? I could not bear to burn mine at Finisterra. After my training and caminos they would not survive another Frances this year, being already worn down at heel. Though in the spirit of umulation I have found the answer. When I visit my girlfriend in Navacerrada (on the Camino Madrid heading for Segovia) we go walking every day. So last week I left my old babies there, thus umulating my house and accumulating in hers.
Birthdays and Christmas are good opportunities to let others know you're a Umulator rather than an Accumulator. For many years now I've very nicely (yes - nicely!) requested family and friends that I'd love to receive a consumable, eg chocolates, wine etc - most have the message now and I rarely receive anything that I can't eat or drink!!! My precious Camino objects are an exception though - if there's anything with a scallop shell on it I just have to have it!
Scallops, chocs and wine - a few of the best food groups represented here pilgrim b! However, like any sensible pilgrim, accumulation is not an issue due to the fact that I 'pace' myself!HUM so you eat lots of scallops as well JennyH94 and chocs and wine,watch your accumulation doesn't increase very nicely too
Aha pilgrim pace I suspectScallops, chocs and wine - a few of the best food groups represented here pilgrim b! However, like any sensible pilgrim, accumulation is not an issue due to the fact that I 'pace' myself!
A-ha pilgrim b! The heavy Camino angels probably haven't umulated enough from their backpacks!Aha pilgrim pace I suspectJust remember heavy camino angels may find it harder to fly
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