Baggage

I just sent home about 4 Kg of stuff:  extra clothes, socks, miscellaneous back-up gear, and a sleeping bag.

Before that I had unceremoniously discarded a number of luxury items along the way:  paperback books, playing cards, solar-chargeable battery backup, ground pad.

All of this done to reduce to essentials in order to maximize my chances of continuing on the Camino as signs of body failure began to materialize.

I'm pretty much down to two changes of clothes, bad weather gear, medical supplies, toiletries, and a pullover for chilly Galicia.

It's easy to wax metaphorical on the camino but I think this is a good one to develop.

"Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat."

I once heard a sermon in which the priest explained that to get through the narrow gate of a city it was necessary to unload the baggage from the beast of burden in order to fit through.

I couldn't help but recall these words as I found it necessary to leave things behind in order to keep on the way. 

I kept thinking of the "baggage" in my life that is holding back progress on the Way.

Oh how many idols we have to distract us in this time of plenty and convenience!  Would that my worldly attachments were as easy to discard as my deck of playing cards!