[Gocamino] Post this to the list

[Charles O'Brien]

My first reaction to the question of allowing a teenager to travel
abroad, alone, albeit on the Camino, was, "Is this woman demented?"
After some thought, I've come to see I was wrong. If you instilled
good values in your young man, taught him how to be courteous and
respectfiul to his fellows,  and if nature has endowed him with a
modicum of common sense, I don't think you have anything to worry
about. (Of course you will anway; that's part of being a parent.)  
Besides, one could argue that he'd be safer in Spain than in most
large U.S. cities.

Chuck

Pamplona a Santiago 1998 


On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 12:34:16 -0600 (GMT-06:00), Eileen Hamer
<ehamer at earthlink.net> wrote:
> As a grandmother, mother of three, sister of five, and former university professor, I've seen a lot of teenagers, and I'd say if you think he's mature enough, it could be the trip of a lifetime for him.  He'll meet others on the way, make his own decisions, and come to trust himself.  Teenagers are so frequently underestimated in our culture--he's yours, he has your values to guide him and your experience to see he starts out okay.  And, of course, through this list, he'll have other peregrinos watching out for him on the way.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rebekah Scott <rebrites at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Mar 27, 2005 7:21 PM
> To: gocamino at oakapple.net
> Subject: [Gocamino] Post this to the list
> 
> A 17-year-old pilgrim?
> 
> My son Philip is 17, turning 18 in August. He wanted to volunteer with a literacy group in rural India, but couldn't go until he turned 18. Having heard his mom and step-father obsess for years about the Camino de Santiago, he's asked us to ship him over to Pamplona in June so he can walk The Way.
> I am thrilled and excited. But I'm also having second thoughts about someone so young and so American walking so far on his own. His step-dad, who walked the Way in 2002, will take him there and walk the first couple of days with him, and will greet him in Santiago when he arrives...they will come back to USA together. (stepdad patrick is doing a hospitalero stint on the Via de la Plata whilst Philip does the Camino Frances.)
> I say all that to say this: What do you wise heads think? Is 17 too young? Will he be OK? What do you think?
> Rebekah
> 
> Rebekah Scott, periodista
> Westmoreland County bureau
> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette USA
> 
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