My first Blog Post about the Camino de Santiago was almost to the day two months ago. This seems like a lot of time when you plan it, but when you live it, not so much. Real life of course gets in the way, and all the time slips through your fingers like sand. Today is the one year anniversary that I got the ok to run my very own snack bar and gift shop on Nantucket, The Hungry Minnow!
Time through your fingers like sand? Maybe I could (as a songwriter) think of a better metaphor BUT I DON’T HAVE TIME PEOPLE! I leave in FIVE days basically! To walk 500 miles by foot across Spain with a 14 lb backpack. OMG! I have taxes to do, things to clean, packing, things to wrap up, things to plan, things to discard and things to keep. I am definitely overwhelmed, but knowing myself I think this is my own undoing or my own incredible intervention. Create an issue and a deadline and get things done, or LET THEM GO.
I am suspicious that this may not be my last Camino de Santiago… (to learn more about the journey visit https://wordpress.com/post/rebeccachapa.com/1563). That said, I am taking this journey to heart and using it to change my own paradigm. Paradigm (Noun a worldview underlying the theories and methodology of a particular scientific subject) When I was at Cornell although I thought myself somewhat erudite (ha! that kinda means smart…) At first when the Hotel Ezra Cornell weekend, “Changing the Paradigm,” was revealed I was totally confused and pretended to know what it meant, but perhaps I am just not very good at this particular task. THUS this journey is almost like a rebirth (apropos I would say) or a ripping of me out of my comfort zone.
The first time I discussed actually walking this journey I thought I could use my “adopted family” as a crutch. With a group and with some older people then I would be able to join them in vehicles and walk a little, get our luggage moved, and relax and have some wine. Soon I realized that was not “my” Camino. For whatever reason I have been asked to purge. (Oh I hear you all saying there are plenty of reasons…) Look folks I am not a purger… I LOVE having a lot of friends, even on FB, I LOVE coming up with a craft idea and knowing that immediately (before the inspiration departs) I could try it out because I have the right glue, beads, fabric whatever… I know this is not the normal, but it IS what I am. I hoard ideas, so someone says something in a coffee shop line and I grab it and I hole it away and one day it becomes a song… I know this attitude is not easy for those around me. I understand that this is not what many people would find a comforting life, but I have to do it, I feel compelled to do it.
I was not born to have ONE job, and I wish my dad were around to talk about it, because he would totally “get me”. My dad had at one point FOUR restaurants, but he still also (sometimes successfully, and sometimes not) tried his luck at an airline, the diamond and jewel business (that went ok actually), trying to sign a boy band (I told him they were terrible, and we kept that demo tape), he knew SO much about SO many things. So maybe that was my inspiration to never pick ONE thing. Yet, so funny at the end of the day, despite my declarations that I would NEVER own a restaurant, here I am, owner of The Hungry Minnow. And in fact, despite my declarations, I could not be happier or proud to follow in his path.
So where do I sit at this moment? Almost frozen in fear of leaving my computer, of letting all my piles of paper languish untouched, the literally thousands of UNIMPORTANT emails sitting there as if I may need them someday. I am hoping to remove these things from my life so that the TINY snippets of conversations from coffee shops, and the little words of wisdom not oft remembered can surface once again.
This will not be an easy extraction my friends, I promise you, but I hope I can return a better, more organized, more balanced person. I hope that by reducing the clutter in many ways that I will be able to have more insight and vision and share that with you. Thank you for listening. If you would like to support me or send an intention with me on my way please do.
To help support this journey paypal.me/ChapaCamino
JOIN ME? Keep up with me at RebeccaChapa.com
I would be more than happy to send a message to the Cathedral of Saint James whether or not you make a donation, please let me know the intention you would like to send, I will carry it with me and leave it there. Much love.
First Shot Selfie
Second Shot by Kimberly Charles Charles Communications Asscociates
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