Redundancy, for some, is such an awful, threatening
word. It’s one that has become too familiar in the newspaper industry in recent
years. For others, it’s a chance of a new beginning, an exciting time when new
opportunities present themselves and, ultimately, it’s all about perspective.
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| Santiago Cathedral |
What seems like a crisis at the time can often teach you the lessons that need to be learned in life – or the crisis can open up new doors.
After months of soul-searching, the time
has come for me to make a big change in my own life. And I feel that those
months of soul-searching, during what should have been a wonderful sunny summer
in Galway, have taught me a lot about my own life and how to deal with it.
I’m one of those people who can tend to worry too
much, or not really put my trust in the universe.
I got to sample some of the wonders of the
walking routes, without immersing myself in the main walk (the French Way) which
takes some pilgrims five weeks to cover from the French border to the Cathedral
in Santiago.
Instead of taking to the pathways, weighed
down by a rucksack each morning, a small group of us were whisked from stretch
to stretch, our bags neatly stored away in minivans before being driven on to
the next hotel.
But it was great to meet like-minded souls
and to realise that my future is no longer set in stone. Like many others who
have taken to the Camino, there was time for soul-searching, for taking stock,
for realising that sometimes good company, spectacular scenery, and a chance to
enjoy a long walk are all you need in life.
People tend to open up more, too, when they
meet people they might never see again in their lives. Stories were swapped and
fears were put in their proper perspective in the company of people who, like
me, have travelled all over the world.
When you have your health, there is so much
to treasure in life. When you walk in silence for hours on end, or share your
worries with a stranger, you sometimes realise that so many of the things you
worry about are not really that important, either.
It's incredible the people you meet along the way. People take to the Camino for a variety of reasons, from spiritual to religious, to maybe a simple desire to meet new people or to have a quiet time. Or even just to have a healthy, low budget holiday, based around long walks every day.
It's incredible the people you meet along the way. People take to the Camino for a variety of reasons, from spiritual to religious, to maybe a simple desire to meet new people or to have a quiet time. Or even just to have a healthy, low budget holiday, based around long walks every day.
Friends and family members had already
described the sense of camaraderie, and the life-long friendships they have
made, on the road to Santiago. From the elderly retired Swedish man, walking in
memory of his late wife, to the young person who had just lost his job.
Everyone has a different reason for walking
and yet everyone has so much in common along the pilgrim’s way. And I know
people who go back there from Galway or London every year.
We met a steady stream of walkers on the
way to Santiago, all of them united by a common bond. “Buen camino” the
pilgrims would call out to each other, perhaps before sharing a beer or a slice
of bread at a pit-stop in a small village on the road to Santiago.
In rural Cantabria, I came across some of
the most gorgeous places I’ve ever seen. Off the beaten track, in the little
town of Potes, surrounded by mountains and hills, it was easy to imagine just
putting the bag down for a week or ten days, relaxing and walking, and soaking
in the views.
A group of us took the cable car up to
Fuente De, 23kms away, and the man next to me said he had conquered his own
fear of heights. A few years ago, he never would have dreamed of being able to take
that cable car to a height of 1,078 metres. Seven or eight years ago, he would
have sat and waited for us at the bottom.
Each of us has fears to conquer and this
man’s pride at simply making a cable car journey inspired me to take stock of
my own recent fears.
On the coast, we found beautiful walks
devoid of any walkers on sunny September mornings. There are fantastic places
to visit in this part of Spain if you don’t want to mingle with thousands of
walkers, but many people also enjoy the sense of community on the main
pilgrims’ way.
Over 5,000 Irish people officially
‘finished’ the Camino in Santiago last year and it’s easy to see why. This part
of Spain is only a short flight away and the camaraderie among the pilgrims
seems a million light years away from our normal worries in this era of
globalisation, Facebook, Twitter, and mobile phones.
I only got a taste of the Camino last week,
and our local guides informed us that there are many other caminos in Galicia for
those who want to get away from it all. You could walk all the way from La Coruna,
on the northern coast, for days on end and hardly meet a soul.
In the square outside the Cathedral, it was
uplifting to see emotional pilgrims reach the end of their long journeys.
Perhaps over the previous days or weeks, they had found the answers to their
troubles.
Yep, I felt like a bit of a cheat, taking
in sections of the Camino de Santiago, before staying in luxury hotels. But I
also got a chance to explore some of the most beautiful landscapes in Western
Europe, amid a growing realisation that I will return to the Camino some day.
It’s that kind of place, that kind of
experience, which helps to put so many of our normal daily worries into their
proper perspective.
Dealing with the loss of a job, a partner,
the death of a loved one, or a big change is all part of this crazy adventure
we call life. And people seemed far more alive, open and honest as they shared
their stories with the pilgrims on the medieval route.
The more disconnected we get via 21st
century technology, the more people want to reconnect with those around them. Which
is probably why the Camino has become as popular in recent years as it was back
in the 13th century.
Buen Camino!
