[Gocamino] Re: weather, gadgets, guides, and Providence

[Kevin Lynch]

The camino graces us with lessons which, learned, keep us in pilgrimage long
after we've returned.  One of the most compelling, which seems to apply to
this very interesting discussion:

God gives me exactly what I need, exactly when I need it.  And generally not
a moment sooner.

don't worry, keep walking,
Kevin Lynch
2001 Roncesvalles a Santiago de Compostela



On 4/6/05 8:47 PM, "Richard Ferguson <peregrino at att.net."
<peregrino at att.net> wrote:

> I had an interesting comment from a friend of mine, with whom I have traveled
> abroad.  He was astounded that I flew to Spain with zero reservations.  He
> knows that I plan most things in great detail, including day by day detailed
> written trip plans.  (I had done a lot of reading about the camino before I
> left, so I was not flying blind.)
> 
> I think that I was trusting to providence in this case, and engaging on
> pilgrimage in a different spirit than my other trips.
> 
> My experience was that I had my adventures, despite the guidebooks, and the
> important things that I learned were from when things went totally not
> according to plan.
> 
> As far as the pilgrim who tried to cross the Pyrenees in bad conditions, the
> biggest error was probably not turning around when conditions became
> difficult.  When things start to go wrong, you need to abandon your plans,
> have something to eat, and come up with a new plan.  It is a common error for
> people to hold onto a plan, when it is obvious that the plan is breaking down.
> Just this week I was on a trip where we agreed to cut the trip short when it
> became apparent that we were going more slowly than we had planned.  Sometimes
> the new plan is a lesser goal, or abandoning your goal, but sometimes it
> involves admiting that you are in danger, and focusing on saving life and
> limb.  If you delay admitting you are in trouble, you just get into deeper
> trouble.
> 
> Richard
> 
> 
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: Rebekah Scott <rebrites at yahoo.com>
>> 
>> 
>> I don't mean to "rain on the parade," and I marvel at the high-tech internet
>> camino things (obviously...we are here now, no?) but having lists of internet
>> sites, weather map links, packing lists right down to brand names and models,
>> satellite telephones, accomodations booked in advance, and The Perfect Shoes
>> all 
>> figured out in advance...Where's there room for faith in divine providence?
>> 
>> Call me old-fashioned, but I think part of the fun of an adventure is the
>> ADVENTURE..the NOT  knowing what's up ahead, the unknown, the chance that
>> something will go wrong/you might get wet/you might have to sleep outside. I
>> read through these pages and I understand the excitement of gathering all the
>> stuff together, the anxiety over maps, the wondering if you'll make it, all
>> that 
>> expectation. 
>> 
>> It's hard not to overplan. But remember, this isn't a holiday trip. It's
>> supposed to be a little risky and strange and flexible and grubby. If you're
>> worried about the weather, getting a bed, sanitary toilets, what kind of food
>> is 
>> available, etc., maybe you should just book into an organized trip with all
>> those details taken care of for you.
>> 
>> Pilgrimage is minimalism, lightweight, take-it-as-it-comes travel that lets
>> your 
>> mind empty itself out. I am not judging people who need to accommodate
>> illness 
>> or infirmity, but I wonder if the added assurance of all the extra lists,
>> gadgets, and guides will somehow subtract from the Camino's adventure aspect.
>> 
>> Reb.  
>> 
>> 
>> Rebekah Scott, periodista
>> Westmoreland County bureau
>> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette USA
>> 
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