Blisters, wounds, sprains and bruises. Nobody is free from pain on the Camino, especially when you try to avoid the mud. Sooner or later our body pays the price, and we may have to take a slower pace or even stop.
Strangely, the Camino wouldn’t be the same without the pain. We go into the Camino with a goal to complete so many miles in a given period of time knowing that it will be uncomfortable but I don’t think I truly understood how throbbing the cobblestones would feel, how much 65 degrees in the sun for 10 hours can feel like 100 degrees, how thirsty walking along the ocean can make you, or how tiring carrying a day backpack can be.
At home I would spend 10 minutes in the morning putting on makeup or styling my hair (not one for primping), however during the Camino I spent at least 30 minutes every morning preparing my feet and legs – placing cut moleskin on each of my toes, applying foot glide on the bottom of my feet and rubbing my legs with icy hot, not to mention an occasional Advil to take the edge off. It is because of the pain we realize how difficult the Camino is, and when we finish each day’s walk we become a different person from who we were when we started.
On the Camino of life similar things happen to us which we must learn to deal with – maybe a loss of a job, a marriage, a loved one or even yourself. We cannot stop the pain life brings, yet we can control how we handle it. Do we let it crush us or empower us?
How do you face the pains of life?
I believe Train’s song “Bruises” sums it up…
These bruises make for better conversation
Loses the vibe that separates
It’s good to let you in again
You’re not alone in how you’ve been
Everybody loses, we all got bruises
We all got bruises
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