The horses and their stories
Along my travels I’ve been fortunate to witness many things, ranging from many wonders of the world to various well-known destinations, but throughout them all, the moments I recall most vividly are within the journey along the way. It’s kind of like football players in the PAC-12 conference; they rarely recall the Rose Bowl game but love to talk about the game that got them there.
Before I arrived along the Camino De Santiago I was told that at some point, when I’d least expect it, the path will grab me.
My friend said, ‘It will hold you so tight that it feels natural and its powers will impact you in ways you cannot anticipate.’
Well, that happened today.
Today was the longest and most grueling along the Camino–but all 33.6 km were worth it, as today the Camino De Santiago grabbed me.
During the final three hours I came across a narrow path with a field to my left and a forest of sorts to my right. Within that forest were four horses, two white and two brown. As I inched my way towards their dojo, I noticed the fence that kept them within their grounds.
It is typical to see horses within a designated area so it did not surprise me, but then one of the brown horses came toward me, ever so slowly.
What was startling at first became calming within moments, as if this horse was trying to get my attention.
Now, I know this sounds ridiculous but as we stared at each other his deep, dark eyes were telling a story.
The story I heard, or maybe wanted to hear, was about an adventurous animal who desperately wanted to explore.
But his eyes told a story of sorrow.
After we gazed at each other for a few minutes, he left…only to be replaced by another one, then another. As I walked down the uneven cobblestone path the horses followed me, curious and friendly, lonely and shy.
It took everything I had to not cut those wires along the Camino De Santiago. And there is a major part of me that does regret it while I’m writing this journal entry at 4am.
And while I may struggle with that years from now, I will remember that moment as the one that grabbed me along this path. That moment, those stares reminded me that we all have a story to tell and yes, we are all the authors of our own story, but every so often we need someone random to listen.
Off to bed.
Peace.
