Three years ago, Carmen Barsody (co-founder of Faithful Fools) was walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Over the course of 42 days, she walked pretty near 500 miles. Along the way she encountered people who became dear friends, and when she arrived at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compestela, she even met an old friend. There, in the square, was Ed Watson who years ago helped Faithful Fools incorporate as a non-profit. His advise set us on our way to being the community we are today. It is true, isn't it? Walking knits us together, either by walking together or by meeting one another along the way.
Carmen reflected on her long walk in our December 2018 eNews letter. We are reprinting it here for you to enjoy. You can also take a "Throwback Thursday" moment and read the whole eNews here:
Reflections on Walking: "The Camino is Life"
“The Camino is Life.” I would hear this said by people along the way or see it scribbled on a rock or carved in a tree trunk, and I often thought it too. As I walked, I was aware that what was required to get up each day and walk many miles through some very challenging paths and up and down steep hills and at times over mountains, was familiar. The same energy and focus that I use every day in my life, especially here at Faithful Fools, I was using to walk the Camino.
The paths were often challenging and I would wonder if I was up to them. Sometimes they felt long and monotonous. Most days the beauty of land and the people around me were exquisite. As I moved through each day, I realized how important it is for me to be walking toward something, toward some place, fueled by a sense of purpose and direction.
Most days I started out with great energy, and at the end of each day I was tired. After a few weeks I began to feel myself getting stronger. Though I had a sense that I would grow physically stronger, I wasn’t aware of how much I was longing for a “toning up” of my inner strength. That was my gift of the Camino. As I walked across many regions of Spain, through wheat fields and wine country, over the Pyrenees Mountains and down steep rocky trails, I was so grateful when I began feeling again the energy and strength within, that place of conviction and determination I count on every moment of every day.
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