Why?

 First, the good news.  There's a Hawaiian-themed night during my Camino journey.  I didn't have a Hawaiian shirt to wear, so ordered one through House of Target.  It came today.  See what you think of my choice.  So far it's getting good reviews among friends and those in the group.

Now the disturbing part, at least for me.  Among the WhatsApp exchanges were politically-oriented posts from one of the members in Australia.  "Can you vote correctly the next time?" "Buddy, I tried!" "Same here."  "Same here." "Same here."  I totally understand people's politics, but one of the reasons I enjoy the "hiking bubble" is the LACK of politics.  To me, we're all just people, at least on the trail.  I'll respect your beliefs.  But if I'm excluded or basically ostracized from the group for mine?  Is that really fair?  I'm trying to get away from the noise, not be engulfed in it.  The exchange really depressed me.  It makes me wonder if this is going to be a long, lonely walk.  That's not what I'm trying to find..."Somewhere along the way," as the song says.  I get enough of that here in the US.  And it often makes me wonder...where, and do I, fit in in today's world?  What happened to the "good old days" when we respected each other?

I've tried.  I honestly have.  But it's getting really hard.  I was hoping this trip would really give me hope that, yes, "Somewhere along the way, I hope you'll find what you're looking for" I'd rekindle hope.  It shouldn't be about one's politics.  Maybe we don't agree.  But since we've gone to a lot of trouble to arrange this trip, let's make it fun.  And politics spoil that fun.

I'd love to prove to them that even though I'm different (and yeah, maybe an outlier), I'm still a good person.  All I can do is hike and try to fit in as best I can.

I'll close with one of Bill Monk's poems from "Whistler's Way."  It resonated with me when I read his book.

THAT IS YOU, THIS IS ME

I've listened to what you’ve had to say,
But let me be clear to you today.
I may go fast, while you go slow.
Who is right?  We neither know.
I wake each day with my goal,
While your days are a random roll.
To judge each other, we are free,
But please remember, that is you, this is me.