Camino—Day 15

Camino de Santiago—Day 15

April 9th
HORNILLOS del CAMINO to CASTROJERIZ

Please Don’t Judge

A pilgrim walked ahead of me…
carrying some ‘weight.’

She was a distance away,
but I noticed something different
in her ‘gait.’

I was getting nearer
to the pilgrim
AND it became rapidly
apparent SHE was a
double amputee…

Both limbs removed
above the knee
and trusting ‘prosthetics’ in place—

I’ve expressed this TWICE…
WHY?
Because I need to.

She takes great risks…
blisters upon her stumps
could become grave situations—

STILL, she walks..
Please don’t judge—
I don’t know her story
but something ‘inside’ her

‘pulls’ her.

You might ask, “what is she trying to prove?”

She’s NOT trying to PROVE anything to YOU!
No camera crews are following her—
she wishes NOT to be known…

SHE wants to WALK the WAY—
The Camino de Santiago.

I pass her by—
we share a glance…no words necessary.
She smiles—
I press on beginning to cry.

An ‘injury’ sustained in 2003
‘CHANGED MY WORLD’
At the time…
I did NOT realize just how much
‘FOR THE BETTER!”

Yet…
Some who knew my path said,
“Do you think this is a good idea?
AND, you’re going ALONE…what if?”

I’ve come to know LIFE is filled with
what ifs and I cannot help but
Say WHY NOT—

“If” there is an occurrence along the
WAY…YOU face the fact—
make a decision or you can sit—
wondering for the rest of you life.
(AND, you don’t know HOW long the rest of your
life may be)

So for now—
Please don’t judge.

Go ‘your’ way and I hope no one
Or no-thing is LIMITING your
Passion to LIVE.