Reliegos

Well! I think my theme today is the push and pull between longing to connect and longing to disconnect. Yesterday I was talking with another woman who is walking solo and she was sharing her expectation of making close connections, in contrast to her experience of making casual, occasional connections. I could relate and I described the contrast between my first, very social Camino and this one, which is much like hers. The thing is, I know that such conversations ARE connection, and they really do comfort us.
At the same time, I had booked at an albergue for last night which had many happy reviews because each bunk…drumroll please.. has a privacy curtain and its own outlet and light. Gasp! Such luxury! And I, too, was very excited about this curtain. Because as much as feeling isolated pains us, we ALSO long for separation and privacy. And just LOVE to draw that curtain! Isn’t that interesting? No wonder so many of us drink too much.
AND, to pile onto that theme, tonight I went ahead and signed on for the communal meal at my albergue, because it was going to be vegetarian and I don’t eat meat on Good Friday, and it was at a reasonable hour. Usually I avoid them because I’m tired and done with people by the end of the day. Or so I tell myself. Because tonight was delightful! Good conversation, very good food, and two of us turned out to be musicians so we were treated to some great tunes. Could not have been nicer. AND yet, tomorrow I will have a private hotel room in Leon and I’m so excited for that! Even better than a dumb old curtain! So, back and forth, connect, hide out, feel lonely, connect. No answers here, just my rambling wondering about what on earth we humans are about. A very interesting Good Friday for me, and I’m guessing there are some connections to be made to that whole drama of love and loss as well…Read more