Camino 2017-10-2 On Pain, Confusion, and Planning

I awoke to the news in the USA. I was immediately concerned because it's the type of concert that relatives like to attend. As it turned out, a cousin and her family were staying at the hotel as they like to do. And their daughter was at the concert.

As I got ready for dinner, I found out they were fine but in a hotel lockdown then out of lockdown. The pain and confusion of those hours was likely as frightening as any we ever want to experience. 

I hope they and the country respond. Because we can't keep asking for thoughts and prayers, asking God for mercy, when we don't take responsibility for our own transgressions. Yes we ourselves aren't immediately responsible but our pattern of actions and inactions facilitate transgressions to be done.

I just described on my blog for the past few days how I've had to change my plans and not be so insistent on doing it a certain way. Because I was getting pain and feeling the coming of blisters, I had to start walking differently. Have you tried to relearn walking? 

It's hard.

But I know some who suffered medical crises and auto accidents who have had to relearn to walk. And I have the luxury of doing this at my choice. That's what a sensible person does. They plan ahead. 

"For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’" (Luke 14:28-30)

I wanted rest days. I needed rest days. But with rising temperatures and weather change, I knew I had to plan ahead. So I walked much further while I could for a few days. Now as the weather turned hot, I can walk and be done by midday and rest during the heat.

That's laying the foundation so that we can finish.  

So on Oct 2, I walked from Redondela to Pontevedra and had a lovely time. I left later than normal. Right after 9am. And I finished without even needing a break at 1pm. In the meantime, I chatted with some wonderful people.

A father and young daughter were walking from Valença. They were from South Korea and were excited to see another Asian on the Camino. Actually there are many. In fact, in my room at this albergue, 4 of the 6 beds have Asians.

I met Alain who is a government official from Quebec near Ottawa. He's in the bunk bed with me and stretches with yoga to prevent back pain.

There's Jules from Australia. I saw her way ahead of me and was bothered because her backpack was not adjusted right for her height. Fortunately she's at my albergue and I asked if her pack felt ok and it didn't. So we are adjusted it so that she can finish her trip with less pain.

I had been asked to take a bunk bed so that older folks could be in lower bunks, even though I got there first. Not a problem.

All this was so much more fun to me than the pain and mental confusion I was experiencing the last few days. 

Maybe all these things are coincidental, but it sure seems like we are capable of adjusting and resetting our plans so that more people can be included and we ourselves can be happier.

Ok there are limits. I walked around town and saw some amazing architecture. But I didn't check to see hours of businesses. Spain usually is up really late so I didn't expect that I had to ask. But a restaurant with supposedly good Navares (razor neck clams, my favorite Spanish dish) turned out closed in the evenings. And by the time I finished dinner and walked over Smooy was closed. They're my favorite froyo chain.

I turned out ok though. I let the desire for froyo guide me to a gelataria. And instead of ice cream I had a crepe stuffed with bananas, fudge, and caramel. 

I think I did alright.