“That’s the ideal meeting…once upon a time, only once, unexpectedly, then never again.” Helen Oyeyemi In the movie The Way, Tom meets three characters along The Way and joins forces with them. Along their Way, the four of them meet other characters. I met some characters on my path. Some I conversed with and shared a moment. Others I just observed. There was Sue. I first met Sue through one of the group members who had met her along her…
“In the middle of a difficuly lies opportunity. Albert Einstein You knew this one was coming. You can’t be a middle child without telling others that you’re the middle child. But the middle does get a bad rap- it’s got its very own Syndrome. And consider these other mid-way points: Middle School. The forgotten years; Middle Ages. A dirty, violent time. Middle Age. A life crisis. No one wants to be “in the middle of nowhere” or “in the middle…
“Religion is belief in someone else’s experience, spirituality is having your own experience.” Deepak Chopra If I haven’t mentioned it already (wink), I highly recommend the movie The Way. It came to me at the right time and led me to this trip in a life-long series of synchronistic events (see Invisible Thread post). When you choose to watch it, it will be the right time for you too. In it, Martin Sheen stars as Tom, an optometrist from Los…
This trip and its significance is becoming very important to me. The pilgrimage seems to be taking on a life of its own. It has already allowed me to take risks and explore new things. It seems to be asking me to look at my experiences through many different lenses. Coincidentally I recently went to the eye doctor who strengthened my prescription, and I updated my glasses (all hail, Costco). Things are a lot clearer and crisper now. If you…
DO IT RIGHT, DO IT WRONG, BUT DO IT. Squeeze your eyes shut and jump. Because a wonderful thing happens then. Your focus shifts from yourself, your nervousness, and your imagined inadequacies to the task at hand. Barbara Sher Yesterday I walked 6.37 miles with John. It was partly cloudy, breezy, and in the mid-50’s. I wore a walking ensemble of everything I would wear on one of the legs of the journey for a test run (yup, including undergarments)….
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These boots were made for walking… Nancy Sinatra Yesterday I bought hiking boots, one of the necessities of the trip. We’ll be walking various terrains (see, I already sound like I know what I’m doing). I spent two hours at REI trying on pretty much every boot on display. TWO HOURS (did I mention that I am an over-analyzer?). I asked the very helpful guys if this was typical. They kindly said “yes,” but I’m not so sure. Many customers…
“An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break.” Ancient Chinese Proverb If you’ve read the ABOUT THE AUTHOR section above, you know that I am pretty surprised and awed that I am going on this trip. It feels like so much more than a jaunt to Europe. In fact, it feels a bit miraculous! I’ll visit Fatima while I am in…