The Wanderer

One Street: Market Square, Shipley #177

I caught brief sight of Will here and just had to stop him. There was something about his demeanour that was quite compelling, a calmness and an openness that made me want to know more about this young man. I asked him if he was a local. He said that he was brought up here but was just visiting. I asked him where he lives now and was told that he lives nowhere. He wanders around the country with a small backpack, no particular destination, sleeping wherever he can find somewhere to erect his little bivvy tent - although he often gets taken in by people he meets along the way.

He talked of the attraction of wandering without the need to reach somewhere specific each day. We normally have to walk in a circle, to get back to where we started from. He dispenses with that constraint. He never has a starting point to which to return. He carries his origin with him.

Will also carries an air of serenity about him. I can only imagine that he touches the lives of many people as he wanders about the countryside. He certainly touched mine today. He's heading out to New Zealand soon to carry on his Buddhist practice at the Vimutti Monastery. I have a feeling our paths will cross again. I very much hope so.

Our work on Ebola has kicked up another notch today. It looks set to be even busier next week. I know there's not going to be much spare time so let me take this opportunity to say hello to a fair few new subscribers in recent weeks, and also to those folk whom I don't know well who have left lovely comments recently. I wish I could respond to you all but it's just not possible at the moment. All I can do is say thank you. It means the world to me that so many people tune in to my journal every day.