Snapshots: Is the Camino More Than Just Moments in Time

Moments in Time

One of the interesting things about the Camino de Santiago is how it becomes a mix of snapshots in time, and also a overarching experience to life.

Each camino is a broad brush of feelings of wonderment and exhaustion, comradeship and isolation and so on.

But it is also a crystal-clear memory of a person or an experience or a view or a deep look inside.

This is what inspired the following memoir about high school.

Snapshots 

I can not believe how much of three years of my high school life that I do not remember. I have memoired about some big moments at King’s Preparatory Catholic High School: 

• Mr Weber’s library and how I felt safe there

Dachau Concentration Camp Ovens (Dec 2022)

I never felt more unsafe in my life.

• Sr Marie Aimee teaching me Spanish - little knowing the importance of that language later in life

Thru-hiked Extremdura, Spain. Entering Castile y Leon

I loved speaking Spanish, instead of relying on English.

• a song about California and running away

Dreaming in Alcazarén (June 2022)

• a film about love and suicide, followed by a mature talk with Sr Carol

Sometimes All You Need Is a Helping Hand

Surprise Albergue, Perfect For a Break (Oct 2016) Rehoboth, Spain

• and sharing my feelings about a subversive film with Mr Giansanti. 

A Poor Man But Never a Slave

Ferrol, Spain (Sept 2019) - Camino Ingles

 All the rest is a smattering - snippets of memories now missing context - about which the radio newscaster Paul Harvey would not have said, “Now you know the re-est of the story.” 

Taking the Bus. 

One winter I stayed late and had to take the RTS bus home. The bus stop was about a quarter mile from the school at the corner of Buffalo Rd and Howard. 

The problem was the winter snow storm with bitter wind chills swirling around the area. I was not dressed appropriately. 

I made it to the stop, and waited and waited and waited. Clearly the bus was late. So I started walking up Howard in hopes of catching more buses on Lyell Ave. Fools errand. I don’t think that I made it halfway when my freezing feet and hands told me that I was in serious trouble. 

Bavarian Alps from lunch-time rest stop on Hoch Bernbauern (Dec 2022)

Because of worsening weather, I stopped my hike into the foothills.

I knocked on some house door, and told them my story. They let me in, and let me call home and let me wait until my dad showed up. I could have been in big trouble, but everyone was cool. 

I wish I could remember what house it was. 

Catcher in the Rye. 

My friends and I had official approval to totally disrespect the school principal, Fr Halloran. What is the re-est of the story? 

In English class, Mrs Scholl was having us read “Catcher in the Rye”, followed up with a book report. One of my friends, possibly Dick Ensman, convinced Mrs Scholl to let some of us form a comedy troupe a la Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in. 

Together our troupe devised a stage production of a barrage of one-liners about the book and the school and the book and life and the book. 

Trail Humor Along the Kerry Way (Bohacogram, Ireland - Aug 2022)

The masterpiece was pre-areanging for Father Halloran to walk unannounced into our production, step to the center and say “Sock it to me!”, the classic catch line from Laugh-In. He did … so we did. We had a dozen pair of socks that came flying out from behind the scenery. 

Now that was fun, and everyone in our audience of classmates had a hoot of a laugh. 

The Football Game. 

I bet someone, not naming names here, that Joe Namath and the New York Jets would take Superbowl III over Earl Morrell’s Baltimore Colts. I had the minority opinion. 

The Colts were expected to win by maybe three or four touchdowns. 

The funny part is that the person with whom I bet offered me seven points which I declined because I thought it unsavory of a phys Ed teacher to inflate my class grade on the basis of a football game. Only later did I realize that he was only talking about the point spread on the game itself. 

You may or may not know that the Jets beat the Colts 16 - 7. Therefore I won the bet with my Phys Ed teacher in a stunning upset. 

Aigle, Switzerland - Just after rounding Lac Laman, I turned towards the Swiss Alps

I had no idea what I was in for, but I was along for the ride.

And, since I had zero sports ability, I think I still got a “C” grade for effort from Mr Dwyer. Uh-oh, the name slipped out. Oh well. 

Uncle John’s Pancake House. 

Rod, one of my high school friends, worked at Don & Bob’s on Monroe, near Brighton High School. He told me to get a job there. 

I worked as a busboy, soda jerk and counter attendant and kitchen help for three years. The best part was Dan, another friend from King’s Prep also joined us there. 

Merida, Spain (Sept 2015) - USA, Spain, USA, Netherlands

Having the "Menu del Dia" along the Rio Guadiana

Over time, I met many cool people from all backgrounds. You would think that after a day of serving hamburgers, hots, fries and more, that the last thing we would do is go to a restaurant at 11:30 at night after closing Don & Bob’s. You would be wrong. 

I remember laughing at Uncle John’s with my Don & Bob’s co-workers and friends over pancakes and crepes and French Toast and whatever anyone else ordered. 

Then we would head home to be at work by 10:00 am the next day, if it was not a school day. 

Wrap-up

 In these little snippets, I learned to ask for help, have fun, take chances and get outside the comfort zone. 

 The big things seem big because of all the little stuff that goes on around them. 

It is not the big things that teach us, although they may induce “shock and awe” into our lives. 

It is the little charcuterie items on the board that show us a different way to smell, taste, hear, see and in multiple meanings of the word - to feel.