"Not so fast!" The words of my favorite Saturday college football oracle came to mind only after the day had closed out in pain. Day 23 of this journey started on more than one high note. Great night's sleep, not always possible with this Spanish summer's heat and the fact that the temperature that day surpassed 104 F. Made it out of the city without trouble, a huge feat considering the complexity of the roads and lack of consistent markings for the Way in cities. Great legs. There, I said it. Nothing but muscle chugging through the miles this day. Finally, food, protein, something other than fritos and pan. Glorious eggs and ham, which the guy hustling customers had to get from Grandma. Seriously. On top of that, he was hustling at 7 A.M. Unheard of! Then life came along with one of those reality checks. A guy said go left when the sign said right, and we FOLLOWED. Long story short, an hour out of our way. Out of our day. On our feet. In the sun.
After coming to my senses this afternoon, through the pain and with more food in my belly, I have rightly concluded one hour is nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially considering what transpired in that hour. A relationship was formed. That's pretty awesome in this day and time. More importantly, the feelings of a man struggling with great difficulty began to be verbalized. I truly believe it was in that moment that this man realized why he was on the Camino. Pretty sweet, eh? Worth an hour? You bet. Worth an hour of my time, each day, whether in Spain, at my workplace, or when dinner needs cooking? Let the Oracle ring loudly every day: "Not so fast!" That sounds like a buen Camino!
After coming to my senses this afternoon, through the pain and with more food in my belly, I have rightly concluded one hour is nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially considering what transpired in that hour. A relationship was formed. That's pretty awesome in this day and time. More importantly, the feelings of a man struggling with great difficulty began to be verbalized. I truly believe it was in that moment that this man realized why he was on the Camino. Pretty sweet, eh? Worth an hour? You bet. Worth an hour of my time, each day, whether in Spain, at my workplace, or when dinner needs cooking? Let the Oracle ring loudly every day: "Not so fast!" That sounds like a buen Camino!