What I love about Matthew

The last few weeks I've spent walking, walking and still more walking with a brief few days spent in Michigan visiting my kiwi brother and long time pragmatic friend, Matthew.
Matthew's lifestyle and belief system is completely different from mine but somewhere, beyond reason and a mystery to many, our core's connect. In karmic comedy we have been thrown together this time around living out our own corrupted version of the Odd Couple. Our twenty year friendship includes a decade of being flatmates. Who ever said the eyes are the window to the soul never shared a kitchen and bathroom with Matthew. In addition to the insight provided, it was a trial by fire of my intestinal fortitude ....Matthew's Oscar Maddison, challenged the Felix Unger in me without apology. Although it had been five years since we'd last seen one another and much had changed in our personal lives, we had no trouble picking up from where we left off. Our Camino conversation went something like this;

"So, you still haven't found yourself and are hoping that walking 500 miles will turn you, up...man, why don't you just get a treadmill?"

"Because I hate to exercise."

He screwed up his face, momentarily stumped. In traditional Matthew fashion, he moved on.

"What exactly is supposed to happen to you on this thing...this walk? Is it like enlightenment or something?"

"Enlightenment would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. I'm hoping that it ends up being a very good walk...maybe gain some insights, some direction...witness a few miracles. That sort of thing."

"Mmmhmm." He nodded in support and in the spirit of true friendship did not allow the lack of detail to cloud how important it was to me. He posed a final question about my journey.
"When you get back, will you get a tattoo to say you did it?"

Now, up until that moment, I really hadn't considered a tattoo. Within a split second my response was out of my mouth and set in stone....surprising even me!
"That's a great idea! Yes, I will get a tattoo to say I did it. A scallop shell with a hint of something meaningful ....It'll come to me."

"Cool. That'll be awesome."

My enthusiasm for his suggestion instantly validated the Camino for him. He now had something concrete, a purpose, for one enduring such a long walk when simply purchasing a treadmill should suffice. The spiritual pieces of the puzzle were, in his mind, secondary to the mystery of choosing the perfect tat that would somehow explain it all. It is in visiting his world of unconditional support, heavy metal and horrendous habits that I am reminded what I love about Matthew.