My journey on the Camino ..... An attempt to summarize what is not possible to summarize.

It's all part of "the journey". That's what I have heard a friend say many times while we are playing golf. More specifically Bobby gets stuck with me as a partner and when I play poorly he would always say " it's all part of the journey". He is a very good player, I am not. As badly as I play he never gets upset .... "it's all part of the journey". I have a new understanding of what that means to me after the Camino.

I did not mention this in the Stage 34 blog so I will now. As I was approaching  the Hill of Happiness,  I was met by a local TV crew, one reporter and a cameraman. They were from TV Galicia. It said so in big blue letters on the side of their small white car. 

As I got closer to them the reporter started to move toward the trail, microphone in hand. I stopped and he asked me a question, first in Spanish and then after I responded in English he asked the question again. The question was basically how was it to walk in the rain? I responded "it's all part of the journey". He thanked me and I walked away with the camera man following me as I passed him. That's when it struck me that everything I have experienced on my 500 mile walk was in fact my journey and it had many parts to it. I doubt he understood my response and I don't think I'll be on the six o'clock news.

Rain, wind, snow, mud, cold, hot, blue sky's and that's just the weather. Throw in the people, the difficulty, the discomfort, the fear of failure and so much more and you start to understand that it really  is a journey. It's is a journey I will never forget. 

I will also take from this journey new tools which I will use in my coaching business. I look forward to getting back to my work with a young and talented sales team.

My goal when I left California on May 13th was to complete the Camino. I can't describe the feeling of the fear of failure. I had worked hard to prepare but I did not have any idea of what I would be facing when I took my first step onto the Camino in St. Jean, France. Was I really ready? Could I walk ten or more days consecutively carrying more than twenty two pounds on my back? In the end I will walk thirty four days in a row without taking a day off. That was not planned for, it just turned out that way.

The first test came on day two in the snow. Have I prepared for snow? No. I live in San Juan Capistrano, we don't have snow. That was the first test of my commitment. I am here as an act of gratitude for all the gifts and blessings I have received. Would the gratitude be for just one day and 17 miles because the snow caused me to quit? If I am here also to leave something for my grandchildren about who I was, what would quitting on day two say about me?

It's easy to quit. Always is, always will be. That is not the message I want them to get from my Camino. Being injured and unable to complete the journey is one thing, quitting because of weather is not an option. I can also tell you that the ability to reject quitting is made much easier when each day starts with a message from one of the people who want to see me complete the journey. It is a truly motivating reminder of why you cannot quit. There is no way to let all of these people down, you must continue. And let's not forget that in my backpack is a card that I am not supposed to open until my 30th day on the Camino. Should I just go home and open it at the club on the 30th day afrer quitting? Not going to happen.

I shared with you some of my fondest work related stories. There many more. I trust that in time when Brayden and Taylor are old enough to understand what message I am trying to send them , that they will see far more than just the story about young David and changing Tired to Fired. The message I hope they will come away with is that it is wrong to behave the way young David did. Calling in sick when you are not. Putting more work on others because you are just selfish. Realizing that the result was correct. My methods may have been a bit unconventional but they did work. 

When I was working I had cards printed, the size of a business card which simply stated our Value Proposition. The card said only this:

       We tell the truth ......... We do the right thing ......... We never promise what we can't deliver.

How would young David's actions line up with these values? Everyone had the card, it was lamenated and we encouraged everyone to keep it with them at all times. Simple and it works. That's the message.

So here I am on an airplane from Santiago to Madrid where I will connect to a nonstop flight to Los Angeles, 5628 miles away. The flight will take thirteen hours,  not much more than Stage 27's walk which was only 18 miles. That puts some things about the Camino in perspective.

I had dinner last night with both Rainer and Michele. The food was good and it was a good way to end the Camino. Michele walked the last two days by combining two Stages in order to meet us for dinner here in Santiago.

Before dinner I head back to the central part of ithe city, its a short walk to do some shopping. It's raining and I buy an umbrella for three Euro's . I guess I am preparing for my return to a fear of rain. Actually I buy the umbrella because its chilly and I don't need to have my cold get any worse. It's getting much better, I don't sound like Barry White any longer.

We have a forth for dinner. A guy who is from Italy Michele met back in Astorga. Interesting guy, played on three teams that won the Itailan Super Bowl, as in American football. Big guy, very fit. He rode a bike for his Camino and did it in twenty days. He builds custom motorcycles for a living.

The question comes up about would you walk the Camino again? For me the answer is very easy ..No.

Not because I didn't enjoy my Camino. I said No because I enjoyed it so much that there is no way I could duplicate it. If I were to do it again I know that I would be constantly comparing any second attemp with the first which would only mean disappointment . Now throw in the fact that I'm not getting any younger, I don't want to train that hard again and perhaps its easy to understand my "No" answer.

How could I ever walk to Villafranca without thinking of my "detour" and the Dos Jose's or my exit from Astorga when I stop at the tiny little Camino church and find that my Credential is missing and in a panic return to the hotel to begin a search for it? There are others, a ride in a cop car in Los Arcos, 

Lilo, Anna , Bono , Irish Ann, Big Billy, Burgos Ray, the Children just to name a few. 

My Camino experience was very special when I think of Nelly and Fernando but of course Michele and Rainer were the two people I spent lots of time with. I look forward to having dinner with them again next year at Michele's Restaurant. I'm guessing we just might get a good table.

So here I am waiting to board Iberia flight 6171. I am eager to get home and yes the beard will stay for perhaps a week but not any longer.

There are so many people to thank who helped make my Camino possible but there are also some who I want to say a special thanks to. 

To Pat who planted the seed . I know that you will enjoy your Camino and that you will meet some very interesting people. Thank you.

To Sharel without whom I would not have been able to complete my Camino. Sharel worked very hard to keep me out of bunk beds and put up with all of my constant changes. Thank you.

Last but not least, Robin who from the moment I first spoke of the idea of walking the Camino never stopped or wavered in her support. She put up with all of my training schedules and was there when I would express doubts about being able to go five hundred miles. Thank you, I Love You and I look forward to seeing you at the airport. Remember I will be the old guy with the mostly white beard!

So that's it, my blog is complete. I have enjoyed trying to get it posted everyday and I wait with great anticipation for my final grade. Thanks for joing me. I hope you got something from it, perhaps even a laugh or two.

Buen Camino and may you be as blessed as I am. 

Jim.