Irons in the Fire

I have been completely absorbed with writing a number of different pieces that have all come to a grinding halt as I find myself chasing my tail a bit as to the sentiment I wish to convey.  The only way I can think to break free of this “writer’s block” of sorts is to write about something else.  My mind is full to the point of overflowing, and if I don’t start processing some of the data, I am afraid I will find myself face to face with the blue screen of death.  We are currently warming a lot of irons, the bounty of which can only be grand plans for the future.  We had old friends stay with us for the weekend, a dinner arranged with new friends in a week or so (that apparently has me dressing for my profession in an effort to compete in a photographic challenge . . . don’t ask), a ski trip in the Pyrenees, and a summer cruise through Italy, Greece and Croatia.  These have now been overshadowed a bit by a very busy Fall that will have the wife and I separated for the longest period since our union some 12 years ago.  At this point, it would appear that we will be apart for the better part of two months.  I would love to point fingers and blame the wife for an overly busy work schedule, but that would only be half true.  A month of this absence will allow me a diversion of my own.  One which will likely end this project as it is currently written.

I believe there to be a journey that I must continue and I have been fortunate to have my wife’s blessing.  In September I plan to walk the Camino de Santiago.  It is one of three well known Christian pilgrimages that traditionally starts in St. Jean Pied du Port, France and ends on the western coast of Spain in Santiago de Compostella.  Santiago is fabled to be the final resting place of Saint James the greater.  That being said, I am not going to argue that I am a devout man in the traditional sense and my experience with the Catholic Church is minimal at best.  The promised absolution to be received at the end of the journey means little to me and is certainly not the reason for my travels, although I could certainly use the forgiveness.  While the words “organized” religion make me terribly uncomfortable for a number of reasons (all of which I will keep to myself as I believe that everyone’s faith is personal and as such should not be questioned by others), I do have an intense belief in God and it seems he has come calling.  I don’t know what I will find along the way, but I know that I must go.  For now, that is all I can comfortably share as I am still in the process of sorting it all out.

For now, I am doing my dead level best not to let my obsession with this topic consume my daily life.  Actually that is not true.  I am letting it consume my life, for I feel it is that important.  What I mean to say is that, this is a personal event that I will share portions of, but have no intention of sharing all of it.  I will continue my writings until the final chapter concludes in Santiago at which point I will reassess the direction that this little blog of mine will take.  For now, it will continue on its semi-daily schedule and will contain as much of the mundane as possible to keep this from getting too . . . hmmm . . . “trippie”.  On that note, my final thought for the day falls toward the trivial.  I can’t help but notice that my daily drive to pick up the boys from school is turning into an episode of Ice Road Truckers.  It seems that narrow misses and near death experiences are becoming all too frequent for my liking.  I don’t know what has changed, but I am certain that my loyal 206 is as concerned as I am.  Perhaps it is simply post-traumatic stress from our trip into the ravine, but each day I feel it necessary to flatter my little Peugeot with loving words and thanks for her diminutive stature.  I don’t know that this lessens the insults placed upon her by abrupt curb jumping to avoid catastrophic collision or nearly running her head long into a trash man who had to jump out of the way from becoming a hood ornament, but I give her my praise all the same.  Thankfully, my passengers never seem to notice as the exertion from their academic endeavors usually has them asleep in the back seat before we turn into the driveway.  I do have one request for those that might one day encounter my little compact turtled on the side of the road, please don’t judge us harshly and save us from insult by flipping us back upright and sending us on our merry way.  Until tomorrow, R.