Glimmer

(Written in 2019)

Nothing happens in an instant. Biologically, one might argue, there is a specific moment in time when we are created, when our spirit and flesh magically burst into pulsating, vibrant life. Like the Big Bang. But in our consciousness — which is really all that counts — our lives begin as a blur, vague memories strewn together, like a long darkness broken up with sporadic flashes or glimmers of light, until at last, day breaks and we begin our journey, rich with twists and turns, leaps and stumbles, joys and disappointments, friends and foes. And so it will be when we breathe our last: a graying of the day as our consciousness dims and our memories vanish, and our spirit and flesh part ways.

And on that bright note, Sancho, while spirit and flesh remain somewhat intact, I prepare to set off, with the noble intention of sharing at least some my experiences.

And is it only a coincidence that today, October 28, 2019, is the feast day of Thaddaeus? Thaddaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles, a brother of St. James the Less and a relative of Jesus. He is the patron saint of desperate cases. Thus, I ask St Jude, as he is also known, to send a blessing my way that I may do this blog justice and that he deliver my plea to the patron saint of good deeds and worthy causes, none other than his brother.

I have one final point to make in this introductory chapter: My initials are JPC, and if you speak the letters, it sounds a little bit like you are saying “gypsy”. Okay, you have to use a little bit of your imagination, but I have been aware for a long time that I have “gypsy” blood — not in the sense that I am of Romani extraction, but that the desire to visit and live in different places around the world has influenced my destiny. An Irish friend once spoke of the gypsies in his country, calling them Travellers, which is actually a bit of a derogatory term, but so descriptive of my life that I felt an odd bit of comradeship with them. Home, as they say, is where the heart is, and I have made my home around the world. Final caveat: If you are expecting a travel blog, best look elsewhere. If you want to follow my adventures, come along, my fellow gypsies. We have giants to slay!