My next-door neighbour wants to drag me back onto the Camino

[JabbaPapa]

My next-door neighbour has suddenly revealed himself as a faithful and orthodox Catholic

He wants to walk the Camino with me, he has been dreaming of the Camino for decades

He is as physically handicapped as I am -- but can I refuse this call ? NO !!!

My confessor is as unimpressed as in 2005 LOL, though he still gave me the formal Pilgrim's blessing during Mass that year, our priests are just wonderful.

Notre Dame de Délivrance, priez pour nous

 

[David]

Hahahaahahahaha :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

you are called! No choice then - Respond Enjoy :wink:

Buen Camino!

 

[Kiwi-family]

I can tell you're going to take a bit of convincing;-)

 

[Tincatinker]

Your next door neighbour wants to walk the Camino, or your next door neighbour wants to walk the Camino with you. These are distinctly different scenario and you should consider both before you enter into your own decision about this proposal.

Your Neighbours revelation is sudden. Have they never previously expressed Catholicism or devotion. Is their enthusiasm directed at the pilgrimage or at the company. Chaucer gave us many potential scenarios as to why an individual might undertake the journey but not necessarily the pilgrimage.

I would be blessed by a less cynical frame of mind but I might, in your circumstances, ask your neighbour whether they would undertake the journey without you, and if not why not.

 

[berdf]

why do you not want to go?
or rather I am not expecting you to say why you do not want to go, I think what I mean is do you know yourself why you don't want to go?
I think if I was asked by anyone, (dearest friend,neighbour, family members last wish) I would have no problem whatsoever in saying "No".
do you really really not want to go?
if not, then maybe it might be an idea to highlight to your neighbour the aspect of the camino that
you are reluctant to re-live
Ber

 

[JabbaPapa]

why do you not want to go?

I'd love to do it again -- but my knee has another opinion on the matter...

if not, then maybe it might be an idea to highlight to your neighbour the aspect of the camino that you are reluctant to re-live

That would be an extremely short conversation !!! :mrgreen:

 

[JabbaPapa]

Your next door neighbour wants to walk the Camino, or your next door neighbour wants to walk the Camino with you. These are distinctly different scenario and you should consider both before you enter into your own decision about this proposal.

He tells me he's "always wanted to do it". And he definitely wants to do it with me.

I like the guy, and he's definitely tough enough in spirit for the Camino.

 

[berdf]

Sorry to hear about your knee difficulty.

it is clear that you want to do it. I misunderstood and thought that you did not want to do it.
I am not the one to talk to about wanting to do the camino .
Maybe there is some way of doing it that is less strenuous on your knee.
when I walked there last month there were all sorts of ways that people walked "the way".
some people did 10k a day then rested, some people bussed the more challenging parts, some people
were on a tour.
I don't know your circumstances and I can see that you are a veteran walker (unlike me) so
you probebly have more knowledge that I have about the different ways to do the camino but I wish you well with your working through this one.
Ber

 

[Pieces]

I don't get it

If you wanna go, go

If you dont wanna go, don't

 

[JabbaPapa]

OK

---

Looks like a 2014 Camino then ...

VERY surprising to find a fellow pilgrim at the other end of the corridor, but what can I say ? The Apostle moves in mysterious ways ...

 

[Rebekah Scott]

We´ll see you here at the Peaceable sometime next year, then, Jabba! What a day of rejoicing that will be... Toad will be all aflutter!

Reb.

 

[SYates]

Only one thing to add: !Buen Camino, Peregrinos! SY

 

[JabbaPapa]

AAAARGH !!!!

He wants to depart from home.

Simultaneously wonderful and dreadful.

meh, Sus Eia

 

[JabbaPapa]

OK

---

A good pilgrim friend has very wisely advised me that my neighbour's wishes may simply be the spur on my backside to get ME moving ...

Thing is -- I'm more and more starting to want moving THIS year ...

BUT I certainly cannot afford it.

Which is about as crazy an idea as anyone else's, so .....

It’s just that — next year looks like being a bust, I think the French bureaucratie are going to make an ugly 2014 for me … (don't ask)

What should I do — Kickstarter ?

Some stretch goals would be lovely, but honestly it’s just the albergues, the train, a camera that works, some el-cheapo army gear, and a Windows tablet for blogging that are beyond my means.

How do I even set up a Kickstarter project in the first place ?

I strongly feel that it’s this year or never again … or this year plus maybe again.

—

Sorry about this, but — I don’t think I’m willing for another pilgrimage with zero cash from having it stolen from me or whatever (and yes, that happened to me one week into my 2000 Rome pilgrimage, the ONLY cash-free pilgrimage I EVER hope for in my life).

----------------------

I'm just asking for suggestions from you guys ATM, not for anything so crass as $$$ --- if I did leave this year, it would be Lourdes > Somport > Compostela starting in 5-6 weeks

 

[SYates]

OK


What should I do — Kickstarter ?

...

I don’t think I’m willing for another pilgrimage with zero cash from having it stolen from me or whatever (and yes, that happened to me one week into my 2000 Rome pilgrimage, the ONLY cash-free pilgrimage I EVER hope for in my life).

Write a book about that pilgrimage and publish it on Amazon ;-) Send me a pm if you need more info about how to do that, SY

 

[JabbaPapa]

hrm, I'd clearly view such a narrative as necessary anyway

 

[JabbaPapa]

Plus I really doubt my neighbour is realistically motivated in the first place.

 

[Pieces]

you can't do the camino because you have no camera and tablet ?

honestly neither of these gadgets have any hand in putting one foot in front of the other...

and, there's always hitchhiking...

 

[SYates]

you can't do the camino because you have no camera and tablet ?

honestly neither of these gadgets have any hand in putting one foot in front of the other...

and, there's always hitchhiking...

I couldn't agree more! SY

 

[JabbaPapa]

you can't do the camino because you have no camera and tablet ?

I'm pretty much committed to blogging IF I manage to go ...

I systematically walk/hitch-hike back from Compostela, which took two weeks in 2005, including about 4-5 days just walking out of Compostela when I met someone who was walking back for a short section of the way -- but I gave up hitch-hiking on the actual Camino itself in 1994, and will never return to it on the way towards Compostela.

---

The REAL problem is my knee ... it's creating extra organisational and just plain old walking difficulties.

 

[Pieces]

well your choice, there's tons of excuses not to do stuff we think we want to do, not having a windows tablet is probably as good as any. If one really wanted to go one would probably find a way around it, like pen and paper or not blogging or some such....

 

[Kiwi-family]

If you're determined to blog, but cannot afford the tablet/phone/whatever to do it from, you could always use computers along the way. Somewhat inconvenient perhaps, but at least a solution.

Or write a paper journal and then turn it into blog format upon your return.

There is more than one way to skin a cat;-)

 

[NicoZ]

Why do you need a windows tablet? It's like saying you need an unicorn's horn :shock:

 

[David]

I think you should jump through your windows tablet and run for the Camino -

no need for weird reasons not to go -
a blog? Really! it isn't necessary to tell everyone what you are doing every day you know you could tell the people next to you as you walk - why on earth do people think that the world needs to know what they are doing? what is this addiction to ego?

Mini computers, cameras, special clothing .. the list of excuses goes on ....

it is so simple - here it is ... - just - don't go, or just - go :wink:

 

[JabbaPapa]

well your choice, there's tons of excuses not to do stuff we think we want to do, not having a windows tablet is probably as good as any. If one really wanted to go one would probably find a way around it, like pen and paper or not blogging or some such....

There's no excuse -- the real problem is my knee ; if my knee were not in the state that it's in, I would have already done a new Camino, likely in 2012.

The tablet is just what I'd LIKE to take with me for the Camino as I WANT to do it this time round.

MY Camino, MY Way.

I've done three and a half pilgrimages without enough money etc, so you're really saying exactly the wrong things to me.

what is this addiction to ego?

:roll:

 

[Pieces]

wrong things ?

if you want to decide what other peoples say, maybe you came to the wrong place.... ?

go.

don't go.

I am happy either way...

P - off to somewhere else...

 

[David]

ah, apologies - we were merely responding to what you wrote :roll:

I too have a poor knee - from a fairly nasty motorcycle accident in my youth. :|

I wear a McDavid PS11 Hinged knee brace. It is quite brilliant, neoprene with tri-axial hinges on either side which ensure the knee tracks without slipping from side to side ... genuine all-round support - I really do give it 5 stars ... and designed for hiking!
you can read up on it here http://www.mcdavidusa.com/Product/429R/MCDAVID_Level_3_Knee_Brace_w_PSII_hinges.aspx
(and much cheaper than a tablet) :wink:

hope this helps you
Buen Camino

 

[JabbaPapa]

I wear a McDavid PS11 Hinged knee brace. It is quite brilliant, neoprene with tri-axial hinges on either side which ensure the knee tracks without slipping from side to side ... genuine all-round support - I really do give it 5 stars ... and designed for hiking!
you can read up on it here http://www.mcdavidusa.com/Product/429R/MCDAVID_Level_3_Knee_Brace_w_PSII_hinges.aspx
(and much cheaper than a tablet) :wink:

hope this helps you

That is indeed a lot more helpful -- I'll see if I can't get one prescribed to me by my doctor.

----

Anyway, even the more negative posts have been helpful, as any other point of view than one's own always is -- even if simply helping to take a look at one's own questioning from a variant perspective.

I was simply questioning my initial thoughts about going in 2014, for various reasons, but I'm now starting to conclude that going this summer would in fact be unrealistic.

 

[JabbaPapa]

As always, the Camino provides.

This time, a clear answer for my question about a departure date, albeit in a VERY roundabout way (most of which is off-forum, and I will not describe it, it's too private).

It is very clear to me that this hi-tech sports knee brace is the solution to SEVERAL practical problems I am facing (both on the Camino and off) -- and also that given my current circumstances, I will not have it in August, and likely not until September at the earliest, by which time this year's departure widow will be closed.

So thank you, David especially, you've channelled the answer from the Camino, pilgrim to pilgrim -- NOT this summer.

 

[JabbaPapa]

OK

This is it.

I WILL go to Santiago in 2014

May God have mercy upon my Soul