Camino
I got this daft idea sometime last month to walk the Camino. Not completely daft as I am walking 400km and not the 780kms first time. It had something to do with turning 50 possibly or just I have being bored or something. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Like the time I did a parachute jump. That was a good idea too. Except possibly for the fact, that I am afraid of heights. Still it was a good way to raise money for Charities. As I got nearer to the date, I got more tense. I really wanted to pull out. In fact most of my days training, which spent getting ready for jump, I spent planning to get out of the jump. It was the matter of leaving at the right time without too much fuss, most people would understand. There were several opportunities as well. Others took the opportunities and we that remained understood. Then I had to sign forms in case I broke my neck on the way down. Seemed reasonable at the time. I signed all the forms and soon I found myself watching myself prepare and then get into the plane.
Now this was a toy plane to me. Very windy up there and they go and open the door, then I am stuck. I did what I practiced and put one foot on the struct which is the step to get on the plane when it is on the ground and the other foot, well it dangled in the air. The instructor says "let go" I laugh inside thinking if he thinks I am going to let go, he has another thing coming. After an age to me, the instructor said that if I dont jump, he will have to come out there and drag me in to the plane again. I mean, what does he mean, I thought, I could fall! I hadnt planned for that in training. So I let go.
Well I dont know, whether my mind or my body let go but before I knew it I was flying through the air. All exercises about which I was supposed to say "1000,2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 pull the cord left me too. Fortunately the parahute opened and I was pulled backwards at speed, or maybe the speed slowed down. I survived and didnt go for the best out of three and so I live to tell the tale.
The Camino feels a bit like that for me. A good idea at the time. As a former couch potato, I feel I represent a large body of other Spuds out there that might have thought I have reached my sell by date, and this challenge is my way of saying, maybe not. My mind on the hand says a pretty constant maybe!
So a blog is what is all about. I am to keep in touch with you through this if you interested. Well we will see. I will keep an open mind and hopefully you can share in the experience in someway.
Finally if Blogging is an art form, then my mistakes along the way, can totally be expected!
Please send any comments if you have any.....
