The True Spirit Of The Camino
Hello Blogger Readers!!!
This is going to be my first and last entry of our series of blogs. Our long and strenuous journey has come to an end. HOORAY! Yes, that is correct. We are currently at the beautiful Spanish city Santiago De Compostela. It is very difficult for me to describe to all of you the certain emotions we are feeling right now. A lot of things had occured to me, while entering the city limits of Santiago yesterday. Thoughts pertaining the meaning or the significance of our so-called ¨journey¨ or ¨camino¨ (as we refer to it) suddenly became clear. I finally understood what it is to be a part of this tradition of pilgrims, and that is what I would like to share with you here.
I began this trip in St. Jean with no expectations. In some ways that was great way to begin an adventure, but also in many ways that was a big mistake. As you all know, I was plagued by blisters, groin muscle problems, etc. etc. the list continues. So, you can imagine how frustrating it must of been to wake up every morning at 5:30am by inconsiderate pilgrims flashing their flashlights in your face, shuffling their plastic bags around, while other deep sleeping pilgrims erupt their cacophonic flatulence and tractor-like snores in our faces. Even after all of that, I still needed to wake up and walk 25-30 kilometers a day. I am not sure if many of you know me but I am a man who enjoys long hours of deep sleep and the more comfortable or should I say lazy ways of life. To cut to the chase, I complained alot. Day after day I would ask myself, ¨What the heck am I doing here?¨ To be honest with you if it wasn´t for Kevin and the great people we had met on this camino I don´t think I would of made it. A wise Irish man once said to me, ¨The Camino, is simply a metaphor for life...¨ We are born in St. Jean and we die in Santiago. We all tackle the camino in our own pace similiar to real life. You meet new people all the time. Some you never see again, and some you keep close, who eventually become family and true brothers for life. (im getting close to the point I promise) Like life, the camino is at times difficult for some, and at the same time extremely easy and enjoyable for others. But it is truely the little things about our day that makes the more difficult days seem almost beautiful. The little things really consist of nothing significant in our day to day life. For example, a cold lemon soda, seeing a familiar face after waling three hours alone, having dinner with the same group of friends every night, Kevin making silly fart noises while we are trying to sleep in a silent room full of pilgrims. What I finally came to realize is that, these little, minute moments that I seem to take for granted in the real world; I have suddenly come to hold so dear on the Camino. Every pilgrim in some time or the other will ask you, ¨Have you felt the Spirit of the Camino?¨ I would always laugh and shrug my shoulders and give them this indifferent smile, which obviously meant NO. And not until yesterday I felt the true Spirit of the Camino, while looking at that magnificent church in the arms of my friends. The true Spirit is what you make of it. The Camino is not about getting from St. Jean to Santiago. It is about the journey itself and the lessons of life we have randomly stumbled upon. If we were still a hundred kilometers from Santiago, and knowing what I know now, my camino would be over.
To end this blog entry I would like to quote the Tarot card that each person had to pick while entering one of the Albergues. This was mine. And it really stuck by me:
¨If you only see the things life denies you, you will never see what it gives you¨
Thank You for all the prayers and thoughts. I apologize for making this so long.
much love,
Paul William Lam
This is going to be my first and last entry of our series of blogs. Our long and strenuous journey has come to an end. HOORAY! Yes, that is correct. We are currently at the beautiful Spanish city Santiago De Compostela. It is very difficult for me to describe to all of you the certain emotions we are feeling right now. A lot of things had occured to me, while entering the city limits of Santiago yesterday. Thoughts pertaining the meaning or the significance of our so-called ¨journey¨ or ¨camino¨ (as we refer to it) suddenly became clear. I finally understood what it is to be a part of this tradition of pilgrims, and that is what I would like to share with you here.
I began this trip in St. Jean with no expectations. In some ways that was great way to begin an adventure, but also in many ways that was a big mistake. As you all know, I was plagued by blisters, groin muscle problems, etc. etc. the list continues. So, you can imagine how frustrating it must of been to wake up every morning at 5:30am by inconsiderate pilgrims flashing their flashlights in your face, shuffling their plastic bags around, while other deep sleeping pilgrims erupt their cacophonic flatulence and tractor-like snores in our faces. Even after all of that, I still needed to wake up and walk 25-30 kilometers a day. I am not sure if many of you know me but I am a man who enjoys long hours of deep sleep and the more comfortable or should I say lazy ways of life. To cut to the chase, I complained alot. Day after day I would ask myself, ¨What the heck am I doing here?¨ To be honest with you if it wasn´t for Kevin and the great people we had met on this camino I don´t think I would of made it. A wise Irish man once said to me, ¨The Camino, is simply a metaphor for life...¨ We are born in St. Jean and we die in Santiago. We all tackle the camino in our own pace similiar to real life. You meet new people all the time. Some you never see again, and some you keep close, who eventually become family and true brothers for life. (im getting close to the point I promise) Like life, the camino is at times difficult for some, and at the same time extremely easy and enjoyable for others. But it is truely the little things about our day that makes the more difficult days seem almost beautiful. The little things really consist of nothing significant in our day to day life. For example, a cold lemon soda, seeing a familiar face after waling three hours alone, having dinner with the same group of friends every night, Kevin making silly fart noises while we are trying to sleep in a silent room full of pilgrims. What I finally came to realize is that, these little, minute moments that I seem to take for granted in the real world; I have suddenly come to hold so dear on the Camino. Every pilgrim in some time or the other will ask you, ¨Have you felt the Spirit of the Camino?¨ I would always laugh and shrug my shoulders and give them this indifferent smile, which obviously meant NO. And not until yesterday I felt the true Spirit of the Camino, while looking at that magnificent church in the arms of my friends. The true Spirit is what you make of it. The Camino is not about getting from St. Jean to Santiago. It is about the journey itself and the lessons of life we have randomly stumbled upon. If we were still a hundred kilometers from Santiago, and knowing what I know now, my camino would be over.
To end this blog entry I would like to quote the Tarot card that each person had to pick while entering one of the Albergues. This was mine. And it really stuck by me:
¨If you only see the things life denies you, you will never see what it gives you¨
Thank You for all the prayers and thoughts. I apologize for making this so long.
much love,
Paul William Lam
1 Comments:
Amen to all that, brother.
Chris
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