Day 48 Observing the obvious

Day 48
“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance observes.”
(Sherlock Holmes is quoted as saying this in Alexandra Horowitz’s Book “ A Walker’s Guide to the Art of Observation

Walking long distances gives one the opportunity to ponder and observe. It opens one’s senses to the world. And hopefully one’s heart to others. This is not necessarily always the case either in the camino or in real life.
“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance observes.”
While walking the camino you encounter all sorts of different people just like you do in life. I’ll just mention a few:

There are some people who are trying to meet a deadline so they put their head down and walk 40-50 kms/24-31 miles a day with few breaks, very little conversation, no real community. That’s not true for all walking this pace but for many of them.

There are some who are struggling, with issues, or health, or blisters, or age, or knees, or something else, just struggling. Some of them put their head down and take. Are of themselves but a lot of them know the pain and struggle of life and see that in their fellow pilgrims. They look around and speak, share stories, remedies, help and hope.

There are some who learn as they go. They start the camino with great confidence and learn the challenges and opportunities; their sense come alive as they listen to nature, their fellow pilgrims and the spirit of the way.

I believe that walking the camino you have to be be aware certainly following the arrows and shells that mark the way. But the way opens your senses to so much more. I also believe it can be true in our daily journeys when we open ourselves to joy and love and hope!