For those of you who don’t know, “El Camino” is a route for pilgrims which has been around since the ninth century. Its final destination is Santiago, an important catholic city in Spain with an imposing cathedral. Nowadays, this route has acquired more than just a religious meaning, with people focusing solely on the cultural and spiritual aspects of the hike. In fact, my mom and I aren’t religious at all and decided to embark on the journey to spend some quality time walking in the middle of nature.
We chose the French root and the first three days were quiet. We were simply walking alone in the middle of the trees throughout the path millions had walked before us. From time to time we would reach this tiny village consisting of no more than ten houses. Some of them seemed completely abandoned, however, there was a place that had life: The Cemetery. The buildings were on the verge of collapsing and if the streets had any signs of life it was a lonely dog or sheep, but somehow in each graveyard, there was a fresh set of flowers or a lit candle. When my mum and I realized this, we felt emotional. Those little towns may have been lost in time, but the memories of the people that once brought them to life weren’t.
There was a particular headstone that actually lead us practically to tears. Engraved on it were the words “Here finishes the beauty, the greed, and the money”. Who was the person resting beneath that assertive statement? We will never know, but it really surprised us and made us wonder. Usually, when somebody passes away, people tend to sanctify them, but not in this case. The character of the person that lay there was immortalized in that sentence.
Perhaps it was because we felt that some members of our family would suit that phrase once they left this world. Or maybe it was because we lamented that the legacy of that human being was so empty, we just let the water fill our eyes. For the next few minutes, we walked in silence, both reflecting on the meaning of life. How can someone waste such a beautiful journey by placing money and appearances above love? I guess I just thought about how different I wanted my life to be compared to the life of the human being resting there. What kind of actions and paths lead a family to write those powerful words on the headstone? I believe I knew the answer because of my experiences, and I just promised myself I would make different choices.
I just wished everyone would be capable of finding the true pleasures of life. I don’t live in a fairytale, and I’m not saying materialistic things are not important, but we should remind ourselves to love and help the ones surrounding us. As my primary goal, I want to be able to reach the end and be proud of what I did in my life. I want to live every day thinking that if I were to die, I would die satisfied because I work on my happiness every day by trying to ensure the happiness of the ones I love. I believe so many generations prior to us lost themselves in the exaggerated ambition, that I truly hope we can be different.
The headstone I saw threw reality at me and allowed me to remind myself that I want to do different. I want not only to be proud of myself, but also to make my family and friends overjoyed at my accomplishments and character.
