The Load We Carry

The reptilian brain strives to survive. We want food, shelter and sex so our body and DNA can survive.  

To achieve this goal, we make a Faustian deal with the devil inside by trading thriving for surviving. In a way, we all have a bit of Dorian Gray in us, tradings our soul to the devil in exchange for eternal life. In short, we are so busy staying alive, we’re not fully living.

We all grow up believing more is better. More than half way through my trip, I have only used four of the dozen shirts I brought; two of the five pair of pants; two of the five jackets; a fraction of the tools and electronics, and none of the items in the huge first aid kid containing everything from bandaids to hart attack meds.

A great cup of coffee here costs a dollar, and a glass of local wine costs two dollars. I have brought so much cash with me, both Euros and Dollars, that instead of enjoying spending it, I worry about losing it. Meanwhile there are Pilgrims on this path who travel with no money at all, and only rely on the generosity of locals and people like me to buy them a meal. I have a feeling they are having more fun than me!

All we need is love. The rest is the load we carry, which it’s weight equals the sum of our fears.