Follow Your Passion

So, a blog about the Camino and The Camino Documentary…

Iʼm sitting here at home, late at night. Thereʼs a thunder and lightning storm outside, shaking the house and the trees, and rain is pouring down. In the midst of all this Iʼm thinking about the effect of the Camino on my life. And then, by extension, thinking about the effect of The Camino Documentary in my life. Yes, a bit of a different word use. The Caminoʼs effect on my life, the documentaryʼs effect in my life.

Iʼve had the great good fortune to walk the Camino Francés several times, from St. Jean Pied de Port and from Le Puy. Iʼve also walked to Santiago on the Via de la Plata from Seville. These walks have had tremendous effects on my life. They have given me a perspective that has taught me values, made me a more honest and moral person, and given me the gift of finding joy in the most mundane of lifeʼs activities. These walks have indeed made me a different, and better, and happier person. How would I exemplify this change? Being present. Being honest. Being true to who I am.

A few years ago, while a board member with American Pilgrims on the Camino, I was approached by Lydia Smith. She said she was about to begin filming a documentary on the Camino and would I be interested in being an advisor to the film? “Of course!” I replied, and I signed on. Since then Iʼve come to know Lydia well. I have visited her at her home in Portland, travelled with her in Spain, attended fundraisers in various parts of the US, and spent many good hours with her editorial crew in their Portland office. Iʼve even had the opportunity to offer suggestions in the editorial process.

What has come to me through my association with Lydia and the documentary is this: the film brings us into the experience of really being a pilgrim. Whether itʼs the depth of emotional release that comes with days of walking, or the time for philosophical reflection on our own small part in the human condition, or perhaps the whimsy of fellow pilgrims, the film brings us into the pilgrim experience just as if we were truly there.

As Lydia says, this film was made not to popularize the Camino but to encourage people to follow their passion, whatever that may be. Follow your heart step by step towards joy and growth. Become the person youʼve always wanted to be. Whoʼs to stop you? Just like walking the Camino, itʼs one step at a time. One simple step after another. Very easy. And at the end of each day, you are more truly you than ever before.

The documentary encourages me to continue to follow my heart, step after step, day after day. Iʼm excited to see the film moving towards public screening. Itʼs like when a good friend decides to walk the Camino. You just know that something really good is going to result.