SeniorPilgrimage.com

Ruminations on injuries – 00 Introduction

Injuries happen

Let’s face it: injuries happen. Some are minor, some are significant, some are major. No matter which class an injury might fall into, however, it is worse for a senior pilgrim than it is for a youngster. We tend to bend and break more easily. We tend to take longer to heal.

I’m not going to lie to anyone about this. Injuries are a real problem. They have been a real problem for me. They are a real problem for me as I write this in April of 2024, a problem so significant that I’ve been forced to accept that fact that I’ll not be setting foot on any Camino route before late summer at the soonest; it’s really “wait ‘till next year” time, but I’m in denial.

Why post about injuries?

So, why post about problems? They are certainly not inspirational.

My answer is simple. The purpose of this website is not to mislead anyone into thinking setting foot on the Camino at age 70 is easy, it is to show the 70-something (and 50-something and 60-something and, I hope, 80-something) that setting foot on the Camino is very possible despite the obstacles we senior peregrinos face.

Because they can be overcome

The challenges of age, and the problems due to injuries, can be overcome with good medical care, dedication, and hard work. I’m living proof of that. And I plan to prove it again.

Thus, my posts about injuries will be very candid stories about things that have happened to me. I share them, and the challenges of overcoming them, in the hope that doing so will inspire others to fight through difficulty to achieve the joys of success when they succeed.

If I can do it, YOU can do it.