Meanwhile, I am on a train to Sáhagun in what is starting out as a very strange trip indeed. The screen on the ceiling that shows the map, etc., is upside down. This is not a transfer trip. And yet when we entered the Ourense station, they announced we are in Vigo and the trip is over. l
We get to the next stop Monforte de Lemos and the train stops, people get on and then the engines go quiet. It is usually not a good thing when the engines shut down.
Leea and I were once on an old style Cercanica train (one that stops in every pueblo enroute) in a station somewhere between Seville and Granada when the engines shut down. We were there for several hours, it was summer, temperatures were in the high 90s and with no engines, no AC. And, that isn't even the reason we refer to it as the "train ride from hell."
That name was earned by the two preschool age children sitting on the laps of two women in the seats behind us. These lovely children kicked our seats, pulled out hair, screamed and cried the entire trip. Other passengers gave us sympathetic looks as they passed by, but the adults responsible for the spawns of Satan either didn't notice or didn't care. Not once in a multiple hour trip and an two hour lay over, did they even suggest that these children should cease and desist.
It's been a whirlwind day. I arrived in Sáhagun and Rebekah, Pat and the priest Dominic come to pick me up. They haven't eaten, so we go to a restaurant and have a nice lunch. I had gaspacho, lamb chops, fries, and watermelon. It was tasty. Then we go to the house, I drop my stuff off, and away we go. We went around to the albergues in the area to let the Pilgrim's know there would be an English mass and Pilgrim's Blessing at 5:30, then we went to the church to set up for the mass. I got to ring the bell, the big one up on the roof with a rope to pull in order to make it ring. It was so much fun. We had a very good turn out and it was a great experience.
Then we went to Carrion de los Condes to talk to the priest there and attend mass. We arrived while the nuns were singing in the Albergue. So while Rebekah went to talk to the priest, I plopped myself down to join the singing. I lost it on Amazing Grace. I was sitting on the floor, singing with these nuns who have lovely voices, knowing I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and experiencing God's Grace in my life. Of course there were tears. Then they sang Hallelujah. It was spectacular.
I seem to be reflecting on areas where I could benefit from some growth. There are people who seem to talk without listening. I was exposed to a couple of them lately and in the midst of thinking how irritating they were, I realized I was one of those for most of my life. I still am to some extent. It is a sign of insecurity. Whether I'm telling people how many Caminos I've done, how much I know about the Camino, how many degrees I have, or rattling off the names of who I know; It is all about my insecurity. I suppose as I approach 70 in less than two months, I have been pondering that ultimate final moment. Will any of that be important? Somehow I doubt it. Even if there are pearly gates manned by St Peter, he, being a saint and having known Jesus, would probably not be impressed by my many degrees, or who I know. I mean how can you top a personal acquaintance with Jesus?
So what is important for me? Why am I attracted to some people? I used to want to be one of the cool kids, in with the in crowd. But, these days I seem to like being me. And I like being around people who like being themselves. I find these people are more generous of spirit. And maybe if I'm with them some of it will rub off on me. I think I would like to be thought of, and yes, at some point, remembered, as someone who shared with others, as someone who cared about others.
I am thinking this may be this year's Camino. Over a period of a day there were two opportunities for me to take a moment and help someone, but I was too busy with my own agenda, with where I "needed" to be and what I "needed" to do. That evening these instances popped up and flitted about like pesky mosquitos and I could hear Joe Q saying, "What would the master do?" I was truly ashamed. I know this was not the first time I had done this, but it was the first time I became truly aware of it with a strong feeling of regret.
So, I am trying to slow down and be aware of purpose. It is not how much I get done in a day that matters, it is that I am present to do what I am called to do, to be who I am supposed to be.
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