Fright

[Andrea Innes-Michailov]

Thank you Felipe, what you wrote was beautifully inspiring and it ever so
gently opened the gates of courage for me.

The commentary on American Culture is one that I have similiar sentiments
with.  I think the American culture has lost most of its goodness though it
appears that no one notices that which is just one of the many problems with
it.  I was on the Isle of Skye in Scotland with my husband (a Bulgarian).
We had stopped on the side of a mountain road to adjust something.  It was
dark and my husband had put on the flashers.  Up the road I saw another car
coming.  As he approached us the other car put on his flashers.  I panicked
and thought he would stop possibly to rob us or attack us.  I told my
husband to hurry and start moving before the other car got too close. I was
terrified.  My husband noticed that the other car had German plates and then
explained that in Europe if you see a car stopped with flashers on you have
to put your flashers on too to let the cars behind you know that there is a
stopped or slowed car coming up.  I laughed at my "american" response to
what I see now as "road courtesy" and also pragmatic behavior.  It struck me
as sad that my first thought was that I was going to be attacked.  But I
think it has come to that.  In America that is survival, especially for
women.  It is hard to imagine a place like El Camino where people are
supportive of each other.  I look at my culture where children are killing
their teachers and peers, health insurance is unavailable to too many, the
cost of housing is out of reach for young families, where people are too
busy to see that their rights are being usurped by corporations, education
is unaffordable, not to mention that our food is poisoned for profit...where
is the American dream in all that?  Looks like it moved to Spain.
Andrea

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage [mailto:GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU]On
> Behalf Of Felipe Sanchez
> Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 5:28 PM
> To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
> Subject: Fright
>
>
> From: "Andrea Innes-Michailov" <andreaaCORP.IDT.NET>
>
>
> > I can see that El Camino will be chalk full of interesting people and
> ideas.
> > I am scared to death but excited too!
> > Andrea
>
> Andrea:  From one hyphened name (Aue-Sanchez) to another please let me
> assure you that you have no reason to feel the least trepidation in regard
> to spending time on the Camino.  My view of Spain is that they have a
> society that functions, i.e., works.  You will find the people on and off
> the Camino to be supportive not predatory.  In addition, the
> number of towns
> and facilities along the C. Frances  is sufficient to aid you in
> almost any
> contingency.  I really think that you will be very much at home
> while having
> a distinctly unique and transforming experience.  The next paragraph might
> be of interest to you.
>
> The following is an excerpt from a Camino diary by Carl Sesto of New York.
> He is a photographer but has a great ability to describe in interesting
> detail
> his "adventures" along the Way of ST. James.  I selected the
> following as it
> reflects my comments on American culture in at least one respect. "The
> Spanish know how to party. At this hour the paseo is in full swing, with
> families and young adults mingling with boisterous teens in the streets.
> With hundreds of people out to enjoy themselves the noise is deafening.
> Impromptu bands erupt every few minutes adding to the mayhem yet no one
> seems to become violent and no one is threatened. My impression
> is that this
> could never happen in America. There appears to be a social code
> of conduct
> here by which everyone conducts themselves, drunk or sober, and which
> disallows threatening others or destroying property. In my
> experience, when
> Americans congregate and drink, they inevitably become rowdy, violent, and
> destructive."
>
> I might append another thought or two.  While there last year I was
> surprised and pleased to see several Spanish men with their young
> sons.  And
> I made the acquaintance of a wonderful woman from Northern Spain who was
> hiking with her daughter.  Also, may women walked alone.  I even
> met two who
> were on their way back to Europe proper after having traversed
> the route in
> the normal direction.  So I advise you to forego fear, embrace enthusiasm,
> feel secure, and you will live in such a way as to etch the
> Camino time into
> the mnemonic tablets of your mind and heart. Felipe
>