September 28

Memories...September 28th

This is an easier day. Last night we stayed at the same business hotel in Tosa that we stayed 6 years ago. It hadn't changed. We left our bags at the hotel in the morning and did a 1 hour 45 minute walk up to the temple and back, a mere 4 mile walk only half way up the mountain. It was one of the rare temple that was not located either on top of a mountain or on the flat land of a growing area. Then it was an 8 mile walk to temple 36, Shoryuji which might mean blue dragon or pizza shack, or something like that. We got into our hotel early today, and even then we had to sit by the beach for a little less than an hour waiting for check-in time, 3pm. Naturally, I fell asleep laying on the pavement.
Tomorrow will be a long day, 18 miles and maybe some rain to boot.

It is amazing what Emi and I remember, but there are more times when we have no recollection of the areas that we are walking or even the temples. It is as if we were never there, but then we will remember a particular spot or scene like a short tunnel where we put on our panchos and died from the trapped heat, or the coffee shop that we stopped at the bottom of temple 35, or a particular minshiku, Chiba Minshiku by name.
Of course it would be impossible to remember 700+ miles. We only remember particular spots that some way catch our attention.

It is like our life. We, I, cannot remember all 67 years of it, but I remember particular events, some significant some trivial. I remember eating the cookies at Mr Spivalo's shop when I was working there as a kid. I remember throwing darts at my brother because I was mad at him. I remember following Valerie Yoh home when I didn't know her and taking her out on our first and last date. I even remember what we talked about. But I don't remember my first kiss; I don't remember where I went when I first drove a car all by myself; I don't remember what I felt when I saw my first child. Memory is a strange thing. It seems to act independently of what you want to remember and what you want to forget. All I can say is that I hope I remember this night here in Japan. We have an exquisite room, had a wonderful bath, and a delicious dinner. I'm not too exhausted (I even had the energy to paint a watercolor, the first.), and the bedding was laid out for us. It is only 7:20pm, but I'm just about ready to go to sleep. Oyasumi nasai.