[Gocamino] Wise pilgrim

Tue Jul 30 23:25:48 PDT 2013

Not all people, modern or medieval, walked the Camino in order to develop a
clearer understanding of the ancient meaning of life. There have always
been as many reasons for walking the Camino as there are pilgrims.

In a 1988 UNESCO Jacobean congress the motivation of medieval
'pilgrims' was covered where the differences between pilgrimages were
discussed and the various types of external and inner motivations were
distinguished. Pilgrimages to holy places (out of curiosity or devotion),
the venerations of saints and the veneration of relics (not to be
confused), local cults, penitential pilgrimages, 'concurcus populi' (mass
pilgrimage which was part of everyday life in the middle-ages), devotional
processions (usually local), pilgrimage combined with business
(ecclesiastical, political or trade) and also the simple joy of travelling,
adventure, escaping the drudgery of life at home.

By the 16th c (even before the reformation) pilgrimage was in decline and
pilgrims were despised as nothing more than lazy vagabonds or bandits. Many
towns barred pilgrims and they were viewed with distrust and disgust.

Only 1 in 5 pilgrims who walk the Camino today have the tomb of Saint James
and a Compostela as their goal and you will often read that 'the journey is
more important than the destination' - something criticised by the
Church which stresses that arriving at the tomb of the apostle is the
important thing, not walking the way.

Whether or not one wants to carry an item of communication is quite normal
for most people.  There is no reason why a 'gadget' should not be discussed
on this forum any more than what shots you might need, which flights to
take to Europe, budgets (cash, travel card, credit card) or Internet
machines.

On 31 July 2013 05:16, <cwlowery at pga.com> wrote:

> Yes Richard, it does seem natural that a person embarking on a long walk
> in order to develop a clearer understanding of the ancient meaning of life
> would have some reservation about carrying these gadgets.
>
>
>
> And further, for these gadgets to become a topic on a forum such as this
> seems odd.
>
>
>
> And further, for these gadgets these folks speak of, to become the primary
> focus of a forum such as this, one dedicated to the pilgrim in all of us
> seems ridiculous to an experienced pilgrim, say from 1300's.
>
>
>
> We all have a tendency to be easily led, to accept as valid a notion
> brought forth by someone.
>
>
>
> I speak up to shake this conversation into the idea that these gadgets,
> invented and marketed by slick salesman, have nothing to do with a
> pilgrimage, and the idea that they do is ridiculous. Or something else.
> Maybe evidence that the best intended souls, men and women who engage this
> forum, sharing their deep memories and epiphanies of the way, people who
> are educated, wisened, successful, have been taken in, like their children,
> by these salesmen and their gadgets,  selling their wears to anyone who can
> buy them.
>
>
>
> Its just a different perspective
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Richard Ferguson" <richard at fergusonsculpture.com>
> Sent: Friday, July 26, 2013 1:40am
> To: cwlowery at pga.com
> Cc: "Sil" <sillydoll at gmail.com>, "†GoCamino OakApple" <
> gocamino at oakapple.net>, "Santiagobis Camino" <santiagobis at yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: Wise pilgrim
>
>  As a late adopter of smartphones, I just returned from my first overseas
> trip during which I had a smartphone with a working internet connection. It
> did change the trip. Sometimes I used it for navigation, other times for
> email, translation, Facebook, or just plain looking up things. I did blog
> the trip, but with a laptop, not a smartphone. I used the smartphone
> multiple times a day.
>
> But I am having some second thoughts about doing a camino with all of that
> technology. Certainly walking with a GPS is a different experience than
> reading a map and asking for directions. Yet I would like to be able to
> email, or call home, or just call for a reservation.
>
> I suppose that I could leave my phone turned off until I have a real need
> for it. Or not buy a data plan, and only have internet access where I have
> WIFI.
>
> I think that part of my hesitation is that for me, asking for directions
> was an important part of my experience when I walked before. Also,
> computers are a big part of my daily life, and if I carry my smartphone,
> that is like a continuation of my regular life. Maybe I think that a
> pilgrimage should be a significant break with my regular life, stripping it
> down to the essentials.......
>
> Last time I walked I had an email list, and emailed a report when I could,
> which kept family and friends informed. To some extent, writing down your
> experiences, in a notebook or on a computer, has value, in terms of forcing
> you to think through and describe your experience. I was thinking that a
> smartphone could let me write and email or blog my experiences.
>
> Decisions, decisions......
>
> I am currently planning to walk in March-April, probably from somewhere in
> France to Pamplona, so I am starting to focus more on pilgrimage.
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
> On Jul 21, 2013, at 2:13 PM, cwlowery at pga.com wrote:
>
> >
> > Thank you for the responses gentlemen. I do feel blessed to have walked
> with nothing save a very small amount of food and water. And to walk in
> Silence.
> > I feel blessed to not even be able to remotely understand how someone
> could make pilgrimage and try to carry so much. It seems so contradictory
> to me.
> >
> > Jesus said judge not, lest. Yes, this I understand. And I am happy for
> anyone who finds their way, using whatever means they choose.
> >
> > But for me, when asked by his disciples where will we sleep, He said,
> Consider the birds. Find Peace here.
> >
> > When asked by his disciples, "What will we eat?" Buddha said the Lord
> will provide.
> >
> > I believe these are important lessons they were teaching. A pilgrimage
> can be a singular chance in one's life to leave the inventions of
> entrepeneurs and slick salesmen behind. Yes it is possible.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: "Sil" <sillydoll at gmail.com>
> > Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2013 10:17am
> > To: saintjames at yahoogroups.com
> > Cc: cwlowery at pga.com, santiagobis at yahoogroups.com, gocamino at oakapple.net
> > Subject: Re: [saintjames] Re: [Gocamino] Wise pilgrim
> >
> >
> >
> > To add to Bob's list, we now have shirts that wick-away the sweat.
> Gortex shoes. Telescopic walking poles. Sunglasses. Motor cars, trains,
> buses. Telephones, email, Internet. Elevators and escalators.
> > And, we'd have to do without café-con-leche (coffee was only introduced
> in Europe in the 17thc) no tomatoes for those salsas, no patata tortiallas
> (potatoes were also only introduced in the 18th c) and many other delicious
> things we take for granted. No - its not possible to replicate the medieval
> experience and every generation adds new technology to the walking pilgrim.
> >
> >
> > On 21 July 2013 15:51, Robert Spenger <[mailto:rspenger at earthlink.net]
> rspenger at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Devices - like trans-atlantic jet planes? Albergues, not only with
> running water, but often heated? Like lightweight packs and well made
> walking shoes? Credit cards and paper money instead of heavy coins? The
> list goes on and on. It is not the same world; it is not possible to have
> the same experience as a medieval pilgrim. Nor is it likely that anyone on
> this forum has experienced the kind of life that the medieval folks lived
> just staying at home.
> >
> > I have done several caminos without mobile electronic devices except for
> cameras. Now that I have an iPad mini (obviously not a necessity - just a
> fun toy) I would like to find out just how much I can do with it. It is a
> challenge, just like walking the camino in my 80s. Come to think of it, in
> the old days I would have been lucky to have made it to half that age. A
> couple of other devices come to mind. Corrective lenses have been around
> for a couple of centuries at least, but certainly not available for the
> 12th century pilgrim. Many modern folks would find it very difficult to get
> by without their glasses. I manage to get lost even with them. Also, in my
> own case, porcine tissue aortic valves were just a dream much less than a
> century ago. Now there is an indispensable device for me at least. it is
> not electronic, but replacement heart valves were developed just about the
> same time that the transistor was.
> >
> > Bob S.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Jul 20, 2013, at 9:27 PM, [mailto:cwlowery at pga.com] cwlowery at pga.comwrote:
> >
> > Imagine when people walked this way without these devices you speak of.
> Can you? If so, do you feel that they have a different experience to yours?
> Imagine thousands of years ago. Tap away
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: "Robert Spenger" <[mailto:rspenger at earthlink.net]
> rspenger at earthlink.net>
> > Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2013 7:29pm
> > To: [mailto:Santiagobis at yahoogroups.com] Santiagobis at yahoogroups.com,
> "Saint James †Yahoo" <[mailto:saintjames at yahoogroups.com]
> saintjames at yahoogroups.com>, [mailto:gocamino at oakapple.net]
> gocamino at oakapple.net
> > Subject: [Gocamino] Wise pilgrim
> >
> > Well, I have overcome one major road block (camino block?). I kept
> getting the elevation plot for the first stage when I tapped on various
> arrows. I finally found out that scrolling down that page reveals the
> promised information. I have not found any directions in the application
> that indicate this procedure. Not very intuitive I might say. Or am I just
> too dense?
> >
> > Bob S.
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPad mini
> > _______________________________________________
> > Gocamino mailing list
> > [mailto:Gocamino at oakapple.net] Gocamino at oakapple.net
> > [http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino]
> http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > This Group is based in the site: [http://www.caminhodesantiago.com]
> http://www.caminhodesantiago.com - Caminho de Santiago de Compostela - O
> Portal Peregrino. All of information the pilgrims need.Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
> > [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saintjames/]
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saintjames/
> >
> > <*> Your email settings:
> > Individual Email | Traditional
> >
> > <*> To change settings online go to:
> > [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saintjames/join]
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saintjames/join
> > (Yahoo! ID required)
> >
> > <*> To change settings via email:
> > [mailto:saintjames-digest at yahoogroups.com]
> saintjames-digest at yahoogroups.com
> > [mailto:saintjames-fullfeatured at yahoogroups.com]
> saintjames-fullfeatured at yahoogroups.com
> >
> > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > [mailto:saintjames-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com]
> saintjames-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com
> >
> > <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
> > [http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/] http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Sil
> > https://www.amazon.com/author/amawalker
> > [http://www.amawalkerscamino.com] www.amawalkerscamino.com
> > [http://www.amawalker.blogspot.com] www.amawalker.blogspot.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > Gocamino mailing list
> > Gocamino at oakapple.net
> > http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
>
>
> Sculptures in copper and other metals
> www.fergusonsculpture.com
>
>
>
>
>

-- 
Sil
https://www.amazon.com/author/amawalker
www.amawalkerscamino.com
www.amawalker.blogspot.com