May 27, 2013

Every time I think my "roommates" for the night can't get any more rude during quiet hours at the albergues, they do. This portion of the Camino is teaching me tolerance. Last night's lesson in tolerance resulted in about 3 hours of sleep, on and off. Ironically, I had a very productive day because of, or in spite of, their lack of consideration. I was up and walking before the sun was fully awake. The poppies along the road didn't even lift their sleepy heads to wish me Buenos Dias. The good news is, I'm a day ahead of where I thought I'd be today. I made it to León where I was planning to take a scheduled rest day, but since I got here a day early, I'm taking two.

While reading through the guide book with my feet propped up in bed, I found the following. I thought it was very interesting, considering my recent struggle with the decision to take the bus part of the way between Burgos and León. Here's what John Brierley, author of "A Pilgrim's Guide to the Santiago", has to say about pilgrims who take public transportation along the way.

"If the idea of taking public transport seems like heresy, it might be useful to ask yourself - why not? ... The ego and its obsessive behavioural patterns can be just as limiting as a laissez-faire attitude and indifference."

That is so true. So often, we set out to do something and our egos get so wrapped up in what we're doing, that we forget to listen to the whisper of the why from the soul. Did I set out on the Camino de Santiago to walk 800 km? No, I set out to have an incredible, life-changing experience. I risked allowing my ego to get in the way of that happening.

It's important to listen to our hearts and our souls when we're following our dreams. Our dreams don't come from the ego, they come from the heart and the soul. It matters not what the ego wants when it comes to our dreams, it matters only what makes the heart smile and the soul take flight.

And one more quote from "El Alquimista". It's in Spanish, but I'll translate it for you. Somehow, the Spanish version just seems more beautiful.

"Cuando alquien tomaba una decisión, en realidad estaba sumergiéndose en una corriente poderosa, que lleva a la persona a un lugar que nunca había soñado a la hora de decidir."

When someone makes a decision, in reality he is submerged in a powerful current, that takes the person to a place he had never dreamed of at the hour of deciding.

I am in that place right now. I can only imagine how much farther that powerful current will have taken me by the time I arrive in Santiago.