PC #94 – Random…

Posted on by

Some random things from today –

My eyesight:

I went to my optometrist today and he ran tests. He was surprised to find, as I’d thought, that my long distance eyesight has improved. He told me it did sometimes happen – particularly as one gets older.

I told him about the Camino and asked if it was a miracle. He laughed, and said he didn’t think it was divine intervention, but even so he was surprised that it had improved so much.

My car:

I put my car in for service. It wasn’t ready when they said it would be ready, so they gave me a loaner. A demonstrator. I had several meetings and as I was parking, I nudged the loan car up against the curb. It scratched the wheel. An itsy bitsy scratch. It will cost me $400.

My blog:

If I’ve lost people from the blog because of this fuss about my indelicate post, then the stats don’t reflect that. As of 7pm, I’ve had more visitors and more page views than I’ve had for months. I don’t have a business model which is based on traffic – I don’t have a business model for this blog at all – but it seems that after putting up the “dwarf on fire” post, more people have come to the blog than have left.

My book:

My book is still being formatted. And I am getting the cover re-designed. I will send it out to those who want to read it when it’s all done, which hopefully won’t be long now. I got advice from a bloke in Chicago who has the Simon & Schuster connection that I will probably make more money, and have more control over the creative aspects of the book, if I e-publish. So that’s what I’ll do in the first instance.

But a couple of interesting things have happened – a journalist mate in Canada has read the book, really liked it, and written a terrific review. (Thank you Larry!) And a high powered literary agent has read the first five chapters, liked them, and now wants to read more. So all that is encouraging.

Camino dinner –

Jennifer and I attended our first Camino dinner last night in Sydney where we met some key people from this blog – Britta, Jenny, Julie, and some others. The New South Wales division of Australian Friends of the Camino is run by Sandra Collier, a beautiful woman. It was a great evening. By the way, Britta at that dinner told me I shouldn’t post the “dwarf on fire” blog, but I didn’t listen to her. I should have!

Thank you –

Thank you to all those people who came to my support over my post. I am very grateful – and also genuinely touched by that support. A blog is, by definition, a personal point of view. That said, I think we’ve spent enough time debating whether I’m a decent bloke or not. Let me tell you straight – I’m not. But each day I get out of bed and I try to be a better person.

I love you all. Sincerely. I do. You are am amazing bunch of people. Even those of you who think I’m a dick.

Dwarf

13 thoughts on “PC #94 – Random…”

  1. I think you’re a Willie not a Dick… This, coming from a Peter… Oops… I posted! Relax, mate!

    Like

  2. Bill ,I could tell you a very long and true story about how the random has affected my life deeply enough to influence my choice of my religious name. I’ll wait til I can do it in person -because my PGS tells me that if I try to do it here and now, this nasty wordpress box will eat half of it. Suffice it to say that I have found the power of the random can be transformative -and something to be seriously considered when it occurs.

    Like

  3. Bill,

    Don’t listen to the eye doctor, the Camino cleared your eyesight, we both know that.

    Hopefully, the ebook will be ready before the 15th. But if not, I still we be able to get my copy.

    Getting together with fellow pilgrims is always great – the exact reason I formed the Old Pueblo Chapter of APOC. We are such a homogenous group when we meet – nobody cares about social status or occupation; the only thing on our minds is the Camino. I’m so glad you enjoyed the meeting there in Sydney!

    Arlene

    PS – sending love right back atcha 🙂

    Like

  5. We love you, Bill, dwarfs — I mean, warts and all! Sorry about the $400 ding — ouch. I agree that the Camino improved your sight, both internal and external.

    Peter, I am so very glad you are back! I hope all is well with you! Julie

    Like

  6. I have a friend who has gone from legally blind to being able to somewhat see, and even get things to focus by doing exercises that are based on long-distance looking. I suspect the same thing may have happened for you. Rejoice!

    Like

    • Hi Rachael,

      That’s an extraordinary thing, to go from being blind to limited vision again.

      I think you’re right – eyesight is largely muscular, and if you let those muscle atrophy, then of course the eyesight is going to diminish. That diminution of muscle strength comes with wearing glasses – they do the heavy lifting – take those glasses away, your muscles have to work again.

      That said, this wouldn’t have happened had I not walked the Camino. So while my eye doc didn’t acknowledge a miracle, I did!

      By the way Rachael, no hard feelings. You’re a gorgeous and remarkable woman.

      You being vigour and brace to this blog, and I love it! Thank you.

      Bill

      Like

      • Thanks Bill.
        You know why it’s a miracle? Because once people start to wear glasses they expect never to see without them again. The gift of the opportunity to experience long distance vision (whether on the Camino or in NZ) allows healing to happen – and isn’t that a miracle!

        Like

  7. The following really belongs in another thread — the one about the Catholic claiming that only Catholics can be “proper pilgrims” — but this “random” thread is good enough for it too, and it is more “current” …

    —

    From Barret and Gurgand’s seminal work from 1978, that was one of the original causes for renewal of interest in the Camino among Catholics and others, Priez pour nous à Compostelle (that I actually found in a second-hand stall while walking the Camino myself in 1994 !!!), reproducing a 13th Century statement from the Pilgrim’s Hospital at Roncesvalles :

    —

    The door is open to everyone, sick and healthy ; and not just to Catholics, but also to pagans, to Jews, to heretics, to the work-shy, to the dissolute, and in a word, to the good and to the profane alike.

    As you can see, the idea that the Camino might be reserved to Catholics alone was just as much rubbish 800 years ago as it is today.

    Ultreia E Sus Eia !!! Gott Santiagu !!!

    Like

Comments are closed.