[Gocamino] Wise pilgrim

Wed Jul 31 01:45:36 PDT 2013

Well said!
I think the discussion, while noteworthy initially, has been run into the ground.  By now, most everyone is in one of two camps-- those that want such a gadget and those who don't.  I find the continuation of a discussion of why one would or wouldn't a bit like those striving to convert others to their way of thought (and the purpose behind it being the dissatisfaction that 100% of the folks don't think so in either direction).
At least lodging, what to pack, airline flights, new products that might be useful to today's pilgrim --  all the result of improved technology, BTW--  keeps changing to the point where it is necessary to be alerted to such so that can make a pilgrimage happen.

Just my thoughts...
Joanie

-----Original Message-----
From: cwlowery at pga.com
To: Richard Ferguson <richard at fergusonsculpture.com>
Cc: †GoCamino OakApple <gocamino at oakapple.net>; Santiagobis Camino <santiagobis at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Jul 31, 2013 1:17 am
Subject: Re: [Gocamino] Wise pilgrim

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.com wrote:
> 
> 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

_______________________________________________
Gocamino mailing list
Gocamino at oakapple.net
http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino