Having attained the ripe 'middle age' of 65, and having accomplished six Caminos, I have a observation concerning age and being a pilgrim.
I have observed, and experienced first-hand, that older pilgrims tend to get more out of the journey. I know this is a generalism. But, consider that, in your 20s or 30s, you have statistically much more of your life ahead of you. At 60, or 70, and beyond, perhaps less so. That light at the proverbial end of the tunnel is closer for me than for others.
Doing a Camino affects most all pilgrims profoundly, albeit in different ways. As an older, arguably, more mature pilgrim, I appreciate the historical continuity of more than a millennia of pilgrimage on the various routes to Santiago. Across history and through many periods of history, we pilgrims have persevered on the
Camino de Santiago.
Millions have gone before, and millions will likely follow after. In that context, we are like grains of sand on a beach. Instead of the Camino being a punctuation point to my entire life, it is a part of my life's journey on the road to eternity. I consider that, on balance, as a fellow pilgrim, I am among good company, both in the here and now, and in the hereafter.
Does this make sense to anyone else?
