Barnacles

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Why does life become more difficult as you get older?

Why don’t things fall your way anymore – like they used to when you were younger?

Why do you lack the courage to do things – things you once would have done without hesitation thirty or forty years ago?

Barnacles.

Yes, barnacles.

We’re like a ship, steaming through life’s waters. And as the years go by, barnacles begin to form on our hull, under the waterline.

Out of sight.

Barnacles and seaweed, which capture the flotsam and jetsam of our worldly experiences.

This debris of life clings to us.

It slows us down, makes us less manoeuvrable.

Less nimble.

It makes us cautious, hesitant, scared.

It tries to stop us going places we once went without a moment’s thought.

The barnacles finally get so thick we can’t move forward.

They burden us with their heaviness. We carry that heaviness with us as we struggle through our later years.

Finally, we give up.

But we can scrape those barnacles off.

We have to scrape them off, if we want to become nimble again.

If we want to be unafraid again.

We can do this, by walking the Camino.

barnacles

 

 

 

16 thoughts on “Barnacles”

  2. On the eve of my departure to, yes, the Camino, this post is very meaningful. Thank you Bill, I like this answer to Why do I do this? It’s the barnacles! 🙂
    Arlène

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  3. Love this post!
    We can all leave a little trail of barnacles in Italy. If scallop shells represent the Spanish Camino maybe we can designate the Barnacle for Italy!!
    Lynda

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  4. Hi Bill,

    This is genius, very inspiring, clever, clear point. Thanks. that is why some people, smart enough walk the camino every year. for years.

    Next 20th of agust i am going for a long walk, two or three months  , I do not know yet.thinking that it will be one in a life time long walk. but now I am thingking that maybe every year I will do like Loli ,74 years old or Santiago. 85 that walk the camino every year for 10 and 17 years.

     

    bises from the basque country and bonne chance for your india trip.

    marie.

    > Message du 02/08/14 03:44 > De : “PGS – The Way” > A : romarin64@orange.fr > Copie à : > Objet : [New post] Barnacles > >WordPress.com

    Bill Bennett posted: “Why does life become more difficult as you get older? Why don’t things fall your way anymore – like they used to when you were younger? Why do you lack the courage to do things – things you once would have done without hesitation thirty or forty yea”

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    • Hi Marie –

      lovely to hear from you!

      I was talking to Jennifer this morning – usually we have a power talk ( 🙂 ) each morning over our coffee. We review everything, and discuss all sorts of rings. And this morning I started talking about barnacles and hulls and how the barnacles slow us down – and thought huh, that would probably make an interesting blog!

      I envy you your long walk. You know I’m planning one too – I hope our walks coincide. At the moment it looks like next year for me, because of work. But I would love to slip off in October. Not sure I can though.

      Are you going to be meeting up with Julian? I think he leaves in a couple of days.

      Hope you are well Marie the Beautiful!

      bisses,
      Bill

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Hi Bill

     

    Are going to be on the Camino en October ? great, I will be still on it with Julian. Well it is the plan but the Camino will decide. Anyway let me know . it would be great to see you.

    Have fun.

    bises to Jennifer and you.

    The best for your trip.

     

    Marie

     

    > Message du 02/08/14 03:44 > De : “PGS – The Way” > A : romarin64@orange.fr > Copie à : > Objet : [New post] Barnacles > >WordPress.com

    Bill Bennett posted: “Why does life become more difficult as you get older? Why don’t things fall your way anymore – like they used to when you were younger? Why do you lack the courage to do things – things you once would have done without hesitation thirty or forty yea”

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    • Hi Marie,

      We would only walk in October if we were doing another tour, but right at the moment that doesn’t look like it’s happening – so our next walk will be the Assisi tour next April.

      Hopefully though we will be seeing you sooner, somehow!

      bb xx

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  6. As a dodderer of 73, I suggest it nor what gets stuck on (barnacles) but what falls off – the strength in your limbs, the sharpness of your vision, the ability to hear clearly what people are saying, the willingness to sleep in a hedge, the difficulty of getting up again when you fall over, the ability to cheerfully tolerate litter throwing “fellow-pilgrims,” and so on.
    But the sense of achievement is actually magnified by these minor inconveniences. So that’s all right.

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  7. How very true. And like a ship that goes back out to the ocean it get barnacles again and needs to dock to clear them. So too do we need to get back on the Camino. I think until I get there I need to try and recreate my own Camino here. Photos, emails, blogs, long walks, chats with like minded people….. It’s not quite the same but I’ll hold onto what I can.

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