May 9, 2012 Day 16 — Chester to Morristown, NJ (14 miles)

Why the rush?

I wake up well rested and ready to go. Thank god for a good night’s sleep. Mike and Diane’s King Size Hospitality in Flanders puts Ralph’s King Size Motel in Port Murray to  shame. (And I even slept in a king-size bed too. So there, Ralph!)

In hindsight I shouldn’t have read yesterday’s blog to Diane. A worried look appeared on her face once I did. Going hungry is just not acceptable in her book. She decides to set the universe aright. After breakfast, I notice she has also left me a huge bag of provisions (with no concern about the additional weight). I start off at the corner of NJ Routes 510 and 206 where yesterday’s trek ended. Although I have already had one breakfast this morning, I remember Pippin’s question in The Lord of the Ring, “What about second breakfast?” I’m taking no chances today. By 11:00 I manage to squeeze in three, thanks to Diane’s goodie bag.

Initially, no particular walking theme emerges, just the constant rushing of cars that pass me. Why is everyone in such a hurry? For example, Driver A beeps impatiently at Driver B in front of her because the latter wants to make a left turn. According to the Driver’s Manual I learned from, waiting for the left lane to be clear of vehicles is the acceptable practice when making left turns. Driver A finds the wait too long and annoying, even if it were to cause a messy accident. Further down the road, I see and hear a car tailgating another, beeping the horn continuously to let everyone know that today’s traffic pace on Route 510 is too slow. And here I am in a totally different time zone. Gandhi once remarked, “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” I totally agree. As I approach closer to New York City the sense of urgency is palpable. Are we rushing to avoid thinking of our own mortality?

For me, walking the Camino de Nathaniel feels like the right speed to move in life. When did we lose that natural rhythm? With the Industrial Revolution? Maybe the “new economy” will help us realign our lifestyles and get us out of our cars and back into life. Imagine how my walk today would be even better without this traffic. But given my present peace of mind and the lack of it I observe in the taught faces behind the windshields of the cars that pass by me, I am grateful for the opportunity simply to put one foot in front of the other. My pace allows me to see more, hear more, feel more, think more, appreciate more, and live more. So there!

A hot outside shower at the home of cousins Rob and Darlene sets the right tone and pace for an evening of good food, good company, and the good life. Vivent les Asselin!