I realize that I haven’t posted in a while. Well nothing much has happened, as far as prepping for my Camino is concerned. I was busy with Christmas and then there is/was the cold weather in January that has kept me from walking. I did go out yesterday when it warmed up to -9°C for a 7km walk through the cemetery. Mud Creek is now very treacherous. Even with clampons for my boots, I still worry that I could fall and break something. I’ll wait until the ice is softer to use them.
I have, however, been reading books by pilgrims who have done walks over the years. To date I have read 15 and reviewed them on this site. For me it’s a little like meeting some of those people who have, over the years, left their footprints so to speak on the various Caminos.
Mud Creek in Winter
I have also started to write what I hope will be a book about my experience walking this pilgrimage. The working title is “A Pathway to Peace.” My Camino will not only be a search for my own personal peace, it will also be an effort to use whatever resources I have, to bring peace however and wherever, I can.
I have come to this walk because I see that there is very little peace in the world these days. There are two wars raging. Democracy is being challenged on all levels. We are losing our fundamental rights of universal education, affordable healthcare and reliable information. Others have lost even more basic needs – housing, food, clothing…. Something has to be done.
Even in my own home I am not at rest. My eldest has just moved back to Ontario from Alberta and is living, with his partner off the grid in Northern Ontario where it was -25°C yesterday. Did I mention that the heater is not working in their trailer. My youngest has been looking for a job for the last two years. Ever since the pandemic ended his first job as a photographer for a large on-line retailer, he has been struggling. Small considerations beside those of the rest of the world, but still a worry closer to home.
I haven’t had time off in almost four years. During Covid my husband died of Cancer. Since then I’ve been busy trying to sort everything out. This Camino for me will be, I hope, a time to find my own personal peace as well as finding ways to promote peace elsewhere. It will be a chance to recharge, recalibrate and reestablish connections with myself, with life in general and maybe since it is a sacred path, with a higher order.
And so I press on. I have designated February as “App” month. I need to load some apps onto my phone, learn some Spanish, improve this site, and generally be “computer ready” before I set off. March is cleaning month. I have to leave the house in order. It’s a little like, “If you want to save the world, start by making your bed.” I’m not setting out to save the world. I’ll be lucky if I save myself.
Buen Camino