- Time of past OR future Camino
- First one in 2005 from Moissac, France.
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I love this new thread, David! I have posted quite awhile ago what motivates me to walk...Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
In the city i live in, there is a 100km-in-24h hiking event each year. It's nicely organized (non-profit) and has 1000 starting slots. There is nothing to win but a certificate that you did actually did finish (and nobody checks if you cheated).I don't know ... if someone were jogging in a park and their knee went would they carry on in terrible pain because they had promised themselves 30 laps and there were still 15 to go? No, they would stop.
Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Or is there something in the core being of the human mind, a tenacity and bravery, that elsewhere displays itself more commonly as acts of heroism?
My driver when I started walking caminos in 2005 was the historic and cultural aspect. After my first I said never again, but I still do, hopefully when the pandemia is controlled.Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Some of us do this every day at home so it is not a great suffer. Do you not walk for hours for leasure where you live?Some thoughts.......
- They have made a commitment to themselves.
- They have made a very public commitment to family and friends.
- They are part of a 'moving' community on the Camino and don't want to be seen to 'let the team down'.
- They are taking part in something that millions of others have done, many who perhaps had much greater hardship.
- Around them they may see others who are suffering more than themselves, but whom are not giving up.
- They may have travelled considerable distance and incurred a lot of expense to get there.
I suspect it is the internal 'promises' they have made that keeps them going.
I recall a very powerful moment in 2018 when walking with Pat. On reaching Fromista she really couldn't walk anymore, she was in tears. (Plantaar Fasciitis and knee problems). Even painkillers and anti inflams were not helping.
She needed medical help and rest.
I suggested we taxi forward to Carrion, effectively getting a day's rest and where we could visit a Doctor and Physio. Which we did. And stayed there 2 nights to get another rest day.
But it was on the way to Carrion..........
You'll recall the Camino follows alongside the road. Just a gravel track. Of course driving on the right hand side of the road, we were just metres from the Camino.
We passed Pilgrims of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. Many of them.
We passed Pilgrims who were hobbling.
As time passed, on the short journey I could sense the mood and emotion from the back seat. You could feel it in the air.
Once we arrived in Carrion, Pat looked at me with tears in her eyes and said.
"Don't ever let me do that again"............
Alex, I think you have expressed very nicely what most of us are actually saying in this one little word..."joy".I walk for the joy of it. I became spiritual towards the Camino on my first walk, and it has stayed with me. I am very thankful for that. Every new Camino is joy.
No. Never. Long story.Some of us do this every day at home so it is not a great suffer. Do you not walk for hours for leasure where you live?
Rob, have I missed the point? I thought your question wasn't why do people walk their Camino, but rather why do people who have truly bad injuries continue walking.?
Some of us do this every day at home so it is not a great suffer. Do you not walk for hours for leasure where you live?
So I wasn't really thinking of normal adventure hardships but serious debilitating pain and similar - pain that at home one would go to the doctor then take a few days off work, that sort of level - yet I have seen and tried to treat many who won't even stop for 48 hours to heal but insist on carrying on, even if they are in tears - it is that level I was wondering about
I walk 5-10 miles every day at home and thoroughly enjoy it.Some of us do this every day at home so it is not a great suffer. Do you not walk for hours for leasure where you live?
Back then, the day's revolved around the feet but the adrenaline and the magic of the Camino just kept us going ...
Some of us do this every day at home so it is not a great suffer. Do you not walk for hours for leisure where you live?
Interesting.This raises an interesting element for me.
How much do you, we, I associate 'walking' with the Camino?
People often ask me where I walk at home? Or I must enjoy hiking?
They are surprised when I say that (for me at least) the Camino has nothing to do with walking.
That's why I don't do it at home. What would be the point? What would be the purpose?
It might not be a great analogy, but (for me at least (that really needs to be an acronym F.M.A.L.)) it would be like........
Visiting a wonderful church along the Camino, where I sat in peace and pondered over the millions of Pilgrims who had walked here, prayed here, found inspiration here.......where I had felt the presence of all those souls over the centuries and a higher power motivating me onwards.....
and someone saying, "Oh, so you must like visiting 'interesting' buildings at home then"?
"Have you seen that new office complex on George Street? fantastic architecture.........."
To spin that quote from the Gypsy character in 'that' Movie.
The Camino has nothing to with walking..........nothing at all.
Just my spin on it all
It will be interesting to see where this thread leads, and if we discover what keeps the 'walking wounded' walking...
I would argue that walking allows us to experience much of what makes the Camino special, especially for those walking for “non religious“ reasons. The interaction with Spanish culture and history, friendship, the inner peace that comes from putting one foot in front of the other for hours in end, and so much more. What walking does is allow us to more fully experience what the Camino has to offer. While the Camino is not about walking, it about the journey and that journey is best traveled on foot."Have you seen that new office complex on George Street? fantastic architecture.........."
To spin that quote from the Gypsy character in 'that' Movie.
The Camino has nothing to with walking..........nothing at all.
Just my spin on it all
It will be interesting to see where this thread leads, and if we discover what keeps the 'walking wounded'
I would argue that walking allows us to experience much of what makes the Camino special, especially for those walking for “non religious“ reasons. The interaction with Spanish culture and history, friendship, the inner peace that comes from putting one foot in front of the other for hours in end, and so much more. What walking does is allow us to more fully experience what the Camino has to offer. While the Camino is not about walking, it about the journey and that journey is best traveled on foot.
frm
Yes. Especially 3, 4, and 5.
- They have made a commitment to themselves.
- They have made a very public commitment to family and friends.
- They are part of a 'moving' community on the Camino and don't want to be seen to 'let the team down'.
- They are taking part in something that millions of others have done, many who perhaps had much greater hardship.
- Around them they may see others who are suffering more than themselves, but whom are not giving up.
- They may have travelled considerable distance and incurred a lot of expense to get there.
Determination not to fail, although I must admit, a couple of times, I accepted a liftHi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Yes, a jog in the park is different, much different than Camino. I offer two points of view, religious and non-religious, although in truth, the two are intertwined.I don't know ... if someone were jogging in a park and their knee went would they carry on in terrible pain because they had promised themselves 30 laps and there were still 15 to go? No, they would stop.
So I wasn't really thinking of normal adventure hardships but serious debilitating pain and similar - pain that at home one would go to the doctor then take a few days off work, that sort of level - yet I have seen and tried to treat many who won't even stop for 48 hours to heal but insist on carrying on, even if they are in tears - it is that level I was wondering about - some years ago there was heavy snow in April all the way to Burgos and I saw a pilgrim trudging along, ankle deep, entering town ... his face looked awful, he was freezing - yet he was carrying on (mind you he could have been carrying on to get to the train station!!).
This is beyond anticipation of Santiago, or Camino family - is it merely to do with the fear of failing? Of letting ourselves down?
Or is there something in the core being of the human mind, a tenacity and bravery, that elsewhere displays itself more commonly as acts of heroism?
To borrow an authoring maxim: Struggle makes meaning.What is the internal driver?
Another reason why I keep on when it is hard: the kindness and generosity of local people who see my need and respond to it generously: for example, the woman who stopped her car when I was walking the Invierno in the pouring rain last fall and insisted on giving me all of a large bag of biscuits. The biscuits were not what I needed, but the generosity of the woman was. I felt myself, then and later, supported and guided in my pilgrimage by the concern and kindness of the local community. My spirit was renewed by this kindness. For my part, I carried out my promises to various local persons to carry their prayers to Santiago. It was a wonderful reciprocity. I long to return to this walking, and sharing.
Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
I belive that,for me, an important reason is a " thank you" for all the things that He has provided for us. the wonderful singer, Sissel, asks in a song, " how can I give thanks for all the things he has done for me. Can I suggest that one of the reasons ,but not limited to, is love. I will do any thing that he asks me to do, I will go anywhere he asks me to go because of that love. You asked for reasons may I offer this. You have helped ,including myself, many people thru your posts, you may never know who whose people are but you carry on doing this. God blessed you with this gift and you have used it wisely. I would suggest you are a reason. Ian .Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Well said! And you said it better than I could.I walk for the joy of it. I became spiritual towards the Camino on my first walk, and it has stayed with me. I am very thankful for that. Every new Camino is joy.
This may well have been the same woman, but I cannot say for sure. It was raining so hard that I was just trying to express my gratitude and let her know that one bisccuit would be enough. She insisted on giving me the whole bag-full, but she did not requests prayers for anyone in Santiago.Alberta Girl, was this the woman? We encountered her just after Ponte Taboada. Such generosity of Spirit and kindness. She asked us to pray for her daughter when we hugged Santiago.View attachment 88928View attachment 88928
If we are talking this level of suffering, then the answer is, of course, that many pilgrims do stop early and take breaks or head home, perhaps to continue or try again another year. As for those who don't, there are just some people that are at the end of the range when it comes to tenacity. It may be a factor of their personal character, or they may have reasons for doing a Camino (religious or otherwise) that drive them to continue in the face of extraordinary hardship, and it may also relate to the encounters they have on their Caminos that help give them the wherewithal to continue.I don't know ... if someone were jogging in a park and their knee went would they carry on in terrible pain because they had promised themselves 30 laps and there were still 15 to go? No, they would stop.
So I wasn't really thinking of normal adventure hardships but serious debilitating pain and similar - pain that at home one would go to the doctor then take a few days off work, that sort of level - yet I have seen and tried to treat many who won't even stop for 48 hours to heal but insist on carrying on, even if they are in tears - it is that level I was wondering about - some years ago there was heavy snow in April all the way to Burgos and I saw a pilgrim trudging along, ankle deep, entering town ... his face looked awful, he was freezing - yet he was carrying on (mind you he could have been carrying on to get to the train station!!).
This is beyond anticipation of Santiago, or Camino family - is it merely to do with the fear of failing? Of letting ourselves down?
Or is there something in the core being of the human mind, a tenacity and bravery, that elsewhere displays itself more commonly as acts of heroism?
I never consider the Pacific Crest trail or Appalachian Trail as long-distance walking options: the Camino or bust! It is my be all and end all. It is my Way. And in pain? Oh, baby, those unbroken in Lady Scarpas on that long day to Los Arcos! Those ill considered Estrella trainers! The Osprey pack which never fit! Toe blisters in teeny weeny icky places! Snorers x1000. Cold showers! I c a n n o t. wait to get back!I would argue that walking allows us to experience much of what makes the Camino special, especially for those walking for “non religious“ reasons. The interaction with Spanish culture and history, friendship, the inner peace that comes from putting one foot in front of the other for hours in end, and so much more. What walking does is allow us to more fully experience what the Camino has to offer. While the Camino is not about walking, it about the journey and that journey is best traveled on foot.
frm
Why do you walk the Camino and why do you suffer. The statement that you understand why religious people suffer for the Camino but why would a non believer suffers, that in itself describes in part what the camino means. If I would have read what you wrote before my first camino I would have thought what an arrogant so and so. Just another reason why I have rejected religion and religious faith. Now I read what you wrote and I know I must read it again and again to understand where you are coming from. The Camino taught me this lesson. I have walked 5 times and have spent 3 days in hospital, suffered injury, had a severe case of Bronchial spasms that left me gasping for breath for days and with uncontrollable coughing fits. But still I walked and never even thought of stopping.In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
I think there are many reasons but I think of the mountaineer when asked why he does it. Because it is there was his reply. I started my first camino as a what the heck, lets try it. Gave up in the mud and rain of the meseta when I got to Castrojeriz and went home. My wife, knowing it would bother me to have not finished, sent me back to finish it but it was different, suddenly without warning it became a pilgrimage. And so I walked concentrating often on just the next step. I was lucky to have had no problems with blister or muscle pains and strains but exhaustion was a problem. Cant stop because its as far to go back as it is to go forward. Good nights sleep and yesterdays exhaustion is forgotten so on I went. My first walking companion, Mees, God rest him, was solving problems so on he walked. My second, Robert, had PTSD and was sorting his mind out so on he walked. Almost every person I walked with had some sort of life problem on their mind so on they walked as they thought about life. It is a fact that walking can be the best form of contemplation or meditation so that keeps people going. Then there were the other types I met. There is a thing in Scotland known as Munro collectors. They climb one munro after another till they have done them all. On the camino there are trail collectors. PCT, appalachian etc and the camino is just another addition to their 'cv'. Then there are those who want the bragging rights when they go home telling all and sundry how great they are for walking the camino. Not many of those but I have met a few. Of course there are those who just want to be Martin Sheen. The camino is made up of all kinds just as life is and most people keep going in life no matter what the hurdlesHi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Some of us do this every day at home so it is not a great suffer. Do you not walk for hours for leasure where you live?
I could have said that myself, but you did it. Better....along with all the excellent answers here, which in part or almost in full, describe my reasons for walking the Camino, but there is something else, something much bigger and unexplainable;
There is some kind of force pulling me towards Camino walking that I cannot explain. It's there, you know it and you can feel it and it just tugs and tugs and tugs until you cannot resist any longer and off you go, to challenge yourself, face the unknown and follow your spirit.
Yes, I have also had those experiences. More than one has cried on my shoulders on the Camino. Happy I was here for them. The Camino has eased the burdens for many, IMHO. Why it is so, is hard to explain. There is a Way...The question of the "internal driver" is indeed a complex one. I mean one other driver that struck me is that people try to walk the Camino as a sort of " last remedy" to free themselves from an unresolved grief such as the loss of a child, death of parents, a divorce...They went to psychiatrists but were not satisfied with the result and now they want clear their mind. I became very emotional when they told me their story, I cherish these rare rich experiences .
I had shin splints and called on the power of prayer and in 3 days it was gone. It was such a delight to be....every day on the route.
What is the internal driver?
if someone were jogging in a park and their knee went would they carry on in terrible pain because they had promised themselves 30 laps and there were still 15 to go?
I think I have the bug
Indeed, I have never experienced that on any other hike. We have all scars of life but here on the Camino I could feel the goodness of mankind, a state of Grace when people through their effort try to give sense to what happened to them. I know this may be volatile but so what...Yes, I have also had those experiences. More than one has cried on my shoulders on the Camino. Happy I was here for them. The Camino has eased the burdens for many, IMHO. Why it is so, is hard to explain. There is a Way...
and not very healthy, even though it says no sugar added.really cheap
Do you mean "religious" or "spiritual". Just because I don't subscribe to a particular religion does not mean I am not spiritual. For me it was a sense of peace and purpose. I found it to be a peaceful, purposeful place to delve into my inner self. To reflect on my spiritual, emotional and relational life's journey.Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
@Bad PilgrimI've been following this thread for a while.
I am intrigued to see that it evolved into the question of why pilgrims in general carry on while suffering. When the original post clearly asked why non-religious pilgrims carry on.
It made it sound as if non-religious pilgrims are an anomaly on the Camino; as if religious drivers are so natural and self-evident that the contrary has to be studied in awe and carefully explained. I really thought it was a strange thing to ask.
I don't get why so many departed from the original question.
/BP
I am not a Catholic, in the sense in which I believe the word is used here. I did not experience my call to pilgrimage as a total surrender to God, but as a response to a calling. And as a biblical scholar by education and intellectual conviction, I do not go to Santiago to visit the remains of Saint James. I found the original question of interest, however, in the context of my sense of calling, perhaps because I find the sense of a calling to pilgrimage to Santiago to be more complex, more interesting, and, I believe, more applicable to a variety of pilgrims, than the definition given in the original post. So I claim my priviledge as a forum member to respond to the original post in the way that it is meaningful to me, looking at why so many who begin the walk continue it when it becomes very challenging to do so.A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James.
Hi. Like yourself I dont have an answer. However on one occasion I had a horrid time from the very first step on my second day's walking. My feet were agony each and every day for 14 days. Im not complaining though. It was the most spiritual of all my times on the Camino. Each day I would get up bright and early full of enthusiasm. I also did many 30 plus km days during that time. Prior to that Camino I lost my sister and soul mate and on those long and painful days I felt I was walking for the two of us so maybe thats why I found it so spiritual. Just my experience.Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Hi DavidI do experience that my fellow pilgrims endure any hardship that they are able to...within the realm of theire own personality and composure...
So there is no why......we are simply able....
BUT.....and this ones a biggie.....how many pilgrims stop and quit in lack of direct support needed....in a both practical and mental manner....there is no viable statistic showing those numbers....and in that lies a hugely important future potential....keeping more of us on path...not overdoing it.....beeing more in tune....adressing the small before it gets big....
Ultreia!
Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Every day is a journey and the journey is home.....Basho
What my question was about was that I could see how someone within the Catholic church, accepting the teachings and their place within it, carries on through extreme difficulties but wondered what it was that motivated someone outside that framework, that surrender to, well, pilgrimage as penance in a way, carries on.
Why?
Why did I not give up on our first Camino over 15 years ago?
Nothing to do with religion ..we just like to walk
Still asking myself that question but back then the thought never even entered my head despite the dreadful pain from the blisters on the toes, the heels and indeed every part of my feet ...
Back then, the day's revolved around the feet but the adrenaline and the the magic of the Camino just kept us going ...indeed going too quickly I suppose as we walked from SJPDP to Santiago in 22 days...not sensible really....and continuing on to Muxia this time had to be shelved.
Even in Burgos I was unable to walk around the cathedral for sheer pain
I swallowed ibuprofen like smarties and gave myself an ulcer and it was sheer luck that we did not get shin splints or other ailments
Some days I was so slow that it took 10 hours to get from one place to the other and hubby must have had the patience of a saint .....and he never had even one blister!!
Catching a bus or even resting for a day never even entered our minds...the stupidity of youth! ....well youthful 55s
I lost 2 toe nails, had a pressure ulcer on my heel and another sore on the side of one foot and I swore that I was never going to walk another Camino!
I learned a lot from that Camino re boot size, feet dressings, changing of socks, dealing with a hot spot etc etc and never had a blister on any subsequent Camino or long walk
Hobbling into Santiago was the most emotional feeling ever on finishing a walk ..and this feeling I still get when entering Santiago
In retrospect I just think it was just sheer bloody mindedness and determination that got us through
would I walk again in a situation like this again?
I don't think so .....
Well I'm older and wiser now aren't i??
This resonates with me, Albertagirl. It may not be the answer to David's question, but it is the reason I keep planning yet another pilgrimage. Pilgrimaging keeps me centered, and keeps me mindful that I have no control over what happens in the universe except for my personal choices. But most importantly for me, that "the Camino will provide." Every pilgrimage I have taken has at least one outstanding story of blessings received through the kindness of strangers. My sense is that I notice these blessings/am more prepared to receive these blessings because I am out of my routine. (I am sure they happen all around me when I am home, but I am lost in that fog of life, and don't see them.) It is connected to my sadness that we now are using mobile phones to tell us where to turn, and to book ahead so we can be sure we have a bed for the night.Another reason why I keep on when it is hard: the kindness and generosity of local people who see my need and respond to it generously: for example, the woman who stopped her car when I was walking the Invierno in the pouring rain last fall and insisted on giving me all of a large bag of biscuits. The biscuits were not what I needed, but the generosity of the woman was. I felt myself, then and later, supported and guided in my pilgrimage by the concern and kindness of the local community. My spirit was renewed by this kindness. For my part, I carried out my promises to various local persons to carry their prayers to Santiago. It was a wonderful reciprocity. I long to return to this walking, and sharing.
Jenny, it doesn't happen easily, but your message brought tears to my eyes.Great thread, David - thank you for the idea and for the opening of the discussion. Wonderful replies so far - thank you to all.
I’m not a religious pilgrim and so the Camino experience is obviously a very different experience for me as it is for someone who is religious.
Many pilgrims walk in dedication of loved ones and some have pressed on while injured - I am one.
To explain I put forward the story of my first camino in 2012 from Leon to Santiago.
Before I left Australia for that camino I set the intention of walking the Camino for my dear Mum and Dad and vowed that I would dedicate my Camino to them for giving me my life and for loving me and caring for me both as a child and as an adult. I thought of them every single day and reflected on so many aspects of my childhood and family as I walked - times of laughter; times of tears and always feelings of gratitude as the memories flooded in as I walked.
A few days in it became obvious that something not great was happening with my left knee. I started taking ibuprofen and managed to walk the daily distances set by our small group until the third last day when we walked 33kms. The second last day we walked over 30kms and the last day 10kms. I knew I was in serious trouble but I wouldn’t stop - to walk every step of that camino and to receive my compostela, in honour of Mum and Dad - was everything to me. I hobbled into Santiago and received my compostela with tears of utter joy - all the pain was worth it.
On returning home to Australia I was diagnosed with a Grade 4 femoral stress fracture which took months to heal and made me wonder if I could ever do another camino. I was also diagnosed with osteoporosis after my first bone density test. As David knows, I did do another camino - and not just one - with David’s kindness and generosity with assistance in the form of Spot, the trailer David made me.
Some would say that I was completely stupid to have pressed on while injured and I accept that. It was a choice I made and I felt - and still feel - that walking that camino in memory of my parents - is something that brought me so close to them even though they had both died many years previously. It was a profound experience. I will never regret the decision to press on.
There are many pilgrims like me who walk the various caminos in memory of loved ones and like me, most have paramount in their minds and hearts to walk to the finish - and to dedicate those caminos to loved ones who live on in our hearts.
Would they press on while injured? Who can say ...
Buen Camino to all from Oz -
Jenny
We didn’t walk the Camino for purely religious reasons. I suffered from shin splints as soon as we left St John’s which then caused my knee to bother me. But for my wife and I we both had athletic backgrounds and quitting was really never an option. When things got difficult we’d put our music on and encourage one another and basically place one foot in front of the other. Meeting other peregrinos and talking to others on the road certainly helped. But having faith in God certainly helped.Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Japanese isn't the easiest language to translate (translators say)
Here are two versions - I think that I prefer the second but not sure.
The moon and sun are eternal travellers. Even the years wander on. A lifetime adrift in a boat, or in old age leading a tired horse into the years, every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. From the earliest times there have always been some who perished along the road. Still I have always been drawn by wind-blown clouds into dreams of a lifetime of wandering.
The months and days are the travellers of eternity. The years that come and go are also voyagers. Those who float away their lives on ships or who grow old leading horses are forever journeying, and their homes are wherever their travels take them. Many of the men of old died on the road, and I too for years past have been stirred by the sight of a solitary cloud drifting with the wind to ceaseless thoughts of roaming.
I can't speak for others, but in my case it was about three things in particular. The pain of discomfort, in my case 14 days of shin splints, was a challenge that enabled me to connect to deeper emotions of pain. This helped me release some deeply felt anxiety and grief.Hi – I have been wondering, pondering really, for a while now. For the religious carrying on when Camino is difficult, terribly difficult, is simple. A Catholic, for instance, has surrendered to a God greater than themselves – they are surrendered and go on pilgrimage with the intention of arriving at the remains of St James for deep personal reasons and every step, everything that happens, is part of that surrender and that mission.
In a sense they expect it to be difficult, to have obstacles to overcome, possibly want it to be difficult, as carrying on and finally arriving in Santiago can have more meaning … more proof of intent. This I can see.
But what I cannot see is why non-religious pilgrims carry on when those obstacles and possible suffering really strikes – walking in pain, walking through day after day of awful weather ….
… what drives them on?
What is the internal driver?
I offer no answers as I don’t know but I would like to open this to your thoughts ...
Thank you Mycroft for your beautiful post - it touched my heart. For you, I post a photo of Mum and Dad - Pauline and Jim. The photo was taken by a street photographer in Sydney when they were courting (to use an old-fashioned expression) just after the end of WWII - they met when Dad was in rehab after returning from the POW camps In Japan - Mum was one of the nurses who nursed him back to health.Jenny, it doesn't happen easily, but your message brought tears to my eyes.
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