Day 17c: Armin’s Armistice … (05/01/2019)
Well, even though the town’s rumored pilgrim-friendly hostel turned out to be a solely-pay-to-stay bed & breakfast — and even though the local monastery (quite contrary to a similarly vehement rumor relayed to me on more than one occasion previous) in fact did NOT maintain the habit of taking in anyone other than officially pre-registered retreatists, one of the latter’s caretakers was impressed enough by my tale (and my obvious injuries) to summon a resident monk thereof( Father Armin) who was impressed enough by the same* to gently offer me a gorgeously Peace-full room in the monastery’s newly remodeled (and currently completely empty) retreat center … :O
*And this despite the fact that I had openly pronounced my Walk’s primary purpose to him (i.e. to awaken the innately caring courage & self-sacrificial integrity that lives in the hearts of all others) — a purpose that was in truth patently at odds with the primary aim of his own religion (i.e. to “encourage” those same others to care for themselves and save their own Souls instead).
“Quiet contrary to all-too-popular belief and all-too-common dogma, tenderness and kindness are signs of neither weakness nor despair, but are rather vivid manifestations of both strength and resolution.” ~ via Kahlil Gibran
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