Synergy in the field chapel
By Simone Venderbosch
‘Blessed are you, Pilgrim, when you lack the words to be grateful for all that surprises you at each corner of el Camino’
An important facet of my hikes is the search for depth. When I walk, I don’t just take steps with my feet or in my head, but I also take steps on a different level. Through simple actions I look for ways to reinforce a moment, to process impressions or simply to stand still for a moment. Call me a romantic, analyst or dreamer, but for me walking is inextricably linked to personal growth and deepening. It comes naturally. It makes every walk teach me a lesson and enriches me.
I find that depth not only in the experiences I gain during my hikes and the insights I gain as a result. In processing and embedding these experiences, I seek support from rituals, music and writing. For me, these are three fixed parts of my hikes. This has grown slowly. On my first hiking weekends, I was so busy with the logistics and all the impressions that I mainly needed to write down the day in the evening. The Walk of Wisdom later offered me many opportunities to do different rituals along the way. Later, I found my own rituals to reinforce moments.
One of the most beautiful moments of synergy I experienced was when I settled down in the field chapel halfway through the Walk of Wisdom. It was the seventh day of my hike. I had a lot to process at that time and had already had quite a journey in that respect.
It’s a quiet day today. Nature rustles along quietly on my path and my bell rings sweetly on the back of my backpack. I feel calm and timid and I walk in a pleasant cadence. Introverted, I walk away for the first few kilometers and then arrive at a chapel of Our Lady. It is a small, but well-maintained field chapel. According to my route booklet, you are halfway through the route at this place. It is quiet and a warm, gentle breeze blows into the chapel. In silence I light a candle and I look for a nice place where I can place it on the altar near the statue of Mary.
I stare into the flames for a moment and look up at the statue of Mary. A calmness comes over me, which touches me and for a while I stand motionless and there is just nothing at all for a while. It seems like I’m all alone in the world for a while. After a while I sit down in the pew, which is with the back against the wall. Opposite me is a stained glass window through which the light falls. There is a table under the window. My eye falls on the Walk of Wisdom sticker with the symbol of the pilgrim, the sign I have become so familiar with. The sticker is on a logbook for pilgrims. With the book in hand, I sit down again and read the stories of all those who have gone before me. How nice to read the stories of others. Also a good moment for me to reflect on what the trip has brought me so far and I try to summarize that and put it into words in the logbook.
I see my hand move, as the words flow from my fingers. I look at what I’ve written and smile contentedly. Now it’s there, on paper. It’s very tangible. When I look up and get ready to get up again, I see that Mary was lying at my feet while I was writing. At least, the sun’s rays shone through the stained-glass window with the image of Mary, reflecting on the natural stone floor right in front of my feet. I also see that on the altar Mary is pointing her hand to my candle. Wow, how beautiful this is! As I leave the serene place, I do so slowly and thoughtfully, grateful for this beautiful moment. I smile again as I turn around and take one last look at my burning candle. A tear rolls down my cheek as I slowly let go of the doorframe and set off again.
At other times, I find strength in listening to music. A beautiful song can help me through difficult moments. When you’re alone a lot, you sometimes miss the comfort of that arm around you, laughing together or just just an outlet. For example, during my hikes I sometimes sing in the shower at the campsite when I think I’m alone, I skip through the field when I think no one sees me, I drum along with the music or let myself be carried away by a song. It’s a relief. And I know I’m not the only one doing this.
The other day I was walking on a path along a stream that ran parallel to a dirt path. In the distance I heard happy tones of someone whistling, followed by a low voice singing a beautiful song. It made me very happy, how wonderful this was. As the sound got closer, I saw that the singer was an old man on a bicycle. He apologized when he saw me. ‘No, go on, sounds good!’, I called after the man as he cycled on. He made my day. I hope that if someone has heard me sing or skipped, that I have made his or her day a little more fun. That I have provided a spark of synergy.
Who am I?
I love hiking and writing. My hiking stories are personal, simple and descriptive. Sometimes profound, sometimes with a grain of salt. Just the way I am.
Photo: Simone Venderbosch
