Rick's reflection as we start off...

Camino reflection 5-28
     I have a little more time to reflect on our journey as I wait for Jo to recover from a (hopefully short lived) stomach bug.  We had planned some extra time in Porto prior to the start of the walk and with a small airline delay and Jo's food poisoning, it turns out to have been important.
     I am anxious to start the walk.  Jo often asks me about my expectations for an activity.  Often, I have a hard time answering her.  I find that when I go into something with expectations, those same expectations will color my interpretations of the event.  If I expect something to be fun or interesting or boring or unpleasant, often it is.  While my original expectations may reflect an accurate assessment, sometimes my expectations can color my experiences and memories.  It is easier to remember good experiences and forget bad experiences when one expects a good event.  The reverse about expectations is just as true.  For that reason, I will try to approach something will an open mind to see where the experiences lead me.  I realize that there are many beliefs implicit in my personality and world outlook that will color my interpretations, but I will at least try to reduce the more egregious kinds of prejudices that can lead me to false conclusions.  I try to reason forward from the data to the conclusion rather than the reverse.  I know my mind is a bit weird that way, but sorry, that is me.
     After saying all of that, I must admit the power of emotion.  I am a sucker for medieval cathedrals.  In Porto, the Franciscan Cathedral was begun in the 14th century and updated many times since.  It has a simple, almost austere exterior, but the interior consists of a baroque set of altars and alcoves that are simply stunning.  Combine that with the pipe organ music and I could stay there for hours (actually I did).  I was reminded of the words of Olga, mother of Valdimir the Great upon entering the Hagia Sofia in Constantiople.  "God must dwell in this house!" In that cathedral I could respond, "yes He must".
     For those reasons, I am anxious to start.  I want to see what the Camino will bring.  What experiences will occur, what new people I will meet, what reflections will I will have.  Yes, I know that my excitement is something that effects my interpretations, but that is not something that I am willing give up.
     We meet the tour guide and the rest of the group today at 1:00.  OK, we're off!

The adventure begins

Well the day has arrived - we have packed, rearranged and tucked in some last minute 'oh we should pack..'.  I think I may have overpacked and Rick keeps saying "they probably have it there..." We have enjoyed some great times this last week with family birthday and new home celebrations.  We celebrated accomplishments and enjoyed quiet time with friends and now we are off to our adventure.  We leave this afternoon (Sunday) arriving some 15 hours later in Porto, Portugal, hopefully with all the belongings we checked meeting us there.  [Due to other travel experiences we have allowed 24 hours to let them catch up. :-)  ]

here we go - all we need for three weeks

I have spent the last 48 hours trying to tie up loose ends and give answers to those who may not have the question yet but they now have the answer. I have prepared my plants and gardens for Sarah to care for them in the easiest manner possible (all pots are in one place for ease of watering - making the yard a bid sparse but when we get back it will be beautiful like magic).  I have arranged for messages to arrive to friends & family just because and to congratulate during the time we are gone. I am sure I will be making more lists on paper and in my head of just about anything but what I need to have on the top of each and every list is "LET GO". I am tired. 

In the process of repotting plants I came across the piles of seashells in my garden, collected over the years, mostly from my favorite beaches in NC.  Besides the oyster and conch, I discovered all sizes and colors of scallop shells. If you weren't aware I am somewhat of a passionate 'care for all God's creations' kinda person. And  spending time quietly on a beach being lulled by the rhythm of the waves, studying all the creatures, searching for seaglass and collecting shells is just about as perfect as it gets.  Is this another sign...a green NC scallop shell among my collection? 

The scallop shell is the symbol of the Camino. The apostle, James, a fisherman of Galilee and a pilgrim, is seen in many pictures with the scallop located somewhere on his clothing.  Therefore this Way of St. James uses the scallop shell to represent the many starting points from which pilgrims begin their journey. It also points pilgrims in the direction to Santiago. The scallop is used for way marking on the trail, for identifying official pilgrim hostels  - the ribs of the shell pointing the way.  I have to 'Let go' to enjoy this adventure, watch for signs as we travel and  be aware those signs may be right under my feet.

Rick says he will obtain his shell on the compestelo, and I may too but in my day pack I will carry this green North Carolina shell along with another small one given to me just for my pocket as we walk this Way of St. James.

 I pray that I let God care for all my needs as I 'LET GO' on this journey.

Give me my scallop shell of quiet; 

My staff of faith to walk upon; 

My scrip of joy, immortal diet; 

My bottle of salvation; 

My gown of glory (hope's true gage) 

And then I'll take my pilgrimage. 

-      Sir Walter Raleigh

My green NC scallop shell 

Reflecting....

As I make my final preparations for departure, I have the opportunity to reflect on a journey that is different than any I have taken before.  Really, why do I want to do this?  Yes I enjoy hiking and experiencing new cultures, but I can do that in many places.  It is time that I can spend with Jo, undistracted by the everyday events and obligations.  That certainly is a draw.   I also see this as an opportunity for reflection. 

In our busy days, we don’t have time to think beyond accomplishing the next item on the list.  In the course of walking for two weeks, there will be ample time for talking with Jo or others in the group.  I will spend time seeing some of the sights, but there will be many hours where I have the opportunity to just reflect.  In the past, I have had that opportunity in short spurts, while driving long distances and on a long run, but it is hard to divorce myself from what is coming up next on the schedule.  For two weeks, there won’t have much, if anything that I can do about anything else outside of the walk.  That will allow me, if I allow myself, to reflect for extended periods of time.

           

           What will I reflect on?  I am not sure, there is a lot of time and my mind tends to cast a wide net.  What I would like to discern is my motivation for helping others.  I am of a pragmatic bent and no matter what my motivation is, I know that I am called to help others.  Is it because I feel that I am supposed to do it?  Certainly Jesus commands this and I do like to follow his commands.  Is it out of love of those who I help?  I would like to think so.  Is it to assuage some inner need of mine?  Maybe there is some of that.  But I would like to think that it isn’t a major factor.  I am not sure.  I would like to approach this without preconceptions and just say that I don’t know why I do what I do.  Then I can appreciate the results of this introspection without imposing my preconceptions on the results. 

Well, we are almost ready to leave.  We need to finish packing and there are lots items on the list to still tie up.  Follow us as we go and I hope you find it as interesting as I do.  Rick

I'm wondering......

Epiphany Sunday is STAR Sunday in our church. Baskets of differently colored stars are passed through the sanctuary during service. You pick a star from the basket and turn over the star revealing your star word. This word is one you are to prayerfully ponder during the year. My star word for this year is Wonder.  Wonder, or more rightfully, wondering, has been a family vocabulary word for years. Our youngest, was never the 'why' child as he experienced and tried to understand his ever growing world. He always prefaced his questions with "I'm wondering..". 

my star word

In preparation for this trip I have checked books out of the library, attended a screening of a new documentary on walking the camino, walked to meetings, school events, friends homes throughout Johnson county. This helped to test the shoes, the socks, the clothes, timing and the backpack. Hopefully this means the I have the right things with me as we head to our camino.

These last weeks as I have tried to get longer walks in, I make lists in my mind of the things I still need to do. Things to arrange so on our return we will find that our Kansas City life is still functioning well and when we return we should not have much catching up to do. You know the things - who will be in town when to take care of the dog; who can I make arrangements with to cut the grass at least once a week; weeding, composting and mulching the beds to hopefully survive the weather during our absence;  maybe even planting window boxes so the house will greet us with pretty smiles on our return. Oh and all the meetings, reports and publications to prepare and submit before leaving. I am thinking I can't wait until we are 'just' walking without all the other stuff to 'get back to'. BUT....

Reading John Brierley's books Camino Portugués and Camino Finisterre (recommended reading in preparation for the walk) I came across a statement that a conscious preparation for a pilgrim should be training for 2 paths and the pilgrim must train for both paths  - the physical path and the spiritual path.  
The physical path I think I am prepared for. 

This spiritual path? Maybe this list making is part of that spiritual preparation, an awareness that walking can be a creative and productive process and recognizing that it doesn't have to be a stressful time.. A new Stanford study found that walking increases creativity by more than 60%. It states :"The act of walking itself, and not the environment, was the main factor" - I think the environment we will be walking through and the individuals we will encounter and travel with will all be factors in our awareness of the call we are answering. 
Although we didn't choose to walk the camino primarily as a spiritual pilgrimage we will be challenged by not only the physical demands but our spiritual experiences.  This may be my daily meditation as we step out on the camino each morning - Psalm 94: 18-19 

Whenever I feel my foot slipping,
your faithful love steadies me, Lord.
When my anxieties multiply,
your comforting calms me down.

Hey William, I am wondering .......

 should I collect street glass as well as sea glass? 

will I see something as similar as this arboretum path on our camino ?

is this why, since visiting the Island of Iona over 10 years ago, I have been reading this prayer daily? 

testing the shoes..

As we prepare for the Compostela, one of our bigger concerns has been to build up our calluses and to discover the right combination of boots and socks to wear.  Since the walking days will be consecutive, there won't be time for the blisters to heal if they occur.  Jo has been able to hone in on her boots fairly quickly settling on two pairs air of Merrell's.   I have been a bit more challenged by the scarcity of size 14 boots.  I have tried a couple but I couldn't find a pair that felt right.  Currently, I am going back to a pair of boots that I have had for a while but have never worn much.  It should be fine but as Jo knows, I like to test my hypotheses.  
In my travels in the developing world, I have seen many people walking barefoot or with flip flops for shoes, in the city, in the mountains and in the muck.  On rocky slopes which would cut the soles of the of good shoes and also through substances that I won't describe.  These memories remind me how blessed I am to have a problem of choosing the right boot.  Over the years, Jo and I have supported an organization called Soles4Souls that collects unwanted shoes and packages them for distribution into the developing world.  It provides a wonderful service that can help kids go to school, provides safety when walking and reduces the chances for injury or infection.  These shoes are processed in a sheltered workshop in Iowa where they are packaged for the developing world or recycled.  You can see how much good can be done with something that we would discard.
While we are gone, I would challenge you to look through your closets and find those shoes that you haven't worn in a year or two.   Those shoes that aren't fashionable and those shoes that the kids have outgrown and donate them to an organization that recycles shoes.  We collect ours at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church at College Blvd and Nieman in Overland Park.
On the Compostela as in most endeavors, this will be a trip for the spirit as well as the body.   "I am not a human being on spiritual journey, I am a spiritual being on a human journey." -  Spiritual Maxim (thanks Jo).