Submitted photo The cover of Columbus writer Walter Glover’s latest book, which will be the focus of Glover’s presentation Jan. 25 at Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St. in Columbus.
The book cover photo seems the perfect metaphor for the ever evolving Walter Glover, a Columbus adventurer extraordinaire who now faces daily adventures in simply remaining safely and slowly mobile in his home office.
In his nearly mystical shot, the sun peeks above a Spanish horizon in the promise of a glorious blaze against a fading blackness. Therein lies the 74-year-old Glover’s optimistic battle against Parkinson’s disease — a situation diagnosed nearly two years ago — that has turned him from a global mountain climber and hiker into one learning the precarious and prayerful steps of patience.
“My life continues to be vibrant, hopeful, full of gratitude and light,” he said just after his one-hour, specialized Rock Steady boxing class that helps his condition.
His description sounds like something of a promising sunrise chasing the depressing darkness.
This new book, “Walking Amid Spanish Lights: From Montanas (Mountains) to Camino,” focusing on his 2014 journey along the Camino de Santiago, a traditional, 492-mile 40-day pilgrimage route in France and Spain, comes from Covenant Publishing, among the larger international Christian book houses. Irony lay in the fact that he can no longer tackle even a segment of such a tireless task.
Now, his most important journey is related to a path of acceptance, peace, and a future of the unknown beyond his faith and determination.
He will cover some of these issues at a free book launch presentation at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 at Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St. in Columbus. He is well known to the 50-plus audience at the center, where he has led grief support groups. He is vulnerable enough to openly acknowledge his own grief over losing a once uber-active life of climbing on five of the world’s Seven Summits.
Now, the man who uses a walker for mobility struggles to climb just a few stairs.
“Nine years ago this month, I was at 21,000 feet on Mount Aconcagua (in Argentina),” Glover said. “Here the other day, I had to walk up five steps a total of maybe 4 feet high, and it required my complete concentration.
“But I’m learning to find strength in imperfection.”
Such a thought is quintessential Glover, effortlessly drawing on authors such as therapist Celine Santani for that insight on strength one minute, and then perhaps a New Testament passage the next minute.
The Camino excursion, brought to the attention of many via the Martin Sheen film “The Way,” required strength and stamina for some 13 miles per day, which he appropriately characterizes as a daily half marathon. And he sees an unmistakable similarity in the waymarks of Camino pointing the way for journeying pilgrims and the spiritual waymarks he finds amid his passionate Christian life.
One of those waymarks points to using his current vulnerability to perhaps trigger consideration in some of his presentation audience members — and the public in general — how they are facing the imperfections or vulnerabilities of their own lives.
“I thank God for what was,” Glover said. “I thank God for what is. And I am trusting God for what will be.
“My present limitations today bear witness to who I am just as much as Spain bears witness to who I was back then.”
Who he was back then was a soul determined to finish what he started on the Camino. Because, near the end, a back injury nearly forced him to stop short.
Eventually, after the kindness of a complete stranger who took him to a doctor for the sake of his safety, he trudged onward — just what he is doing today amid illness.
Jenny Lowry, who was inspired partly by Glover several years ago to become a certified grief counselor, can understand her friend’s unfailing optimism in the face of Parkinson’s and loss.
“I think it’s all because he’s very grounded spiritually,” Lowry said. “He knows very well who he is. And he knows very well who his God is.
“Plus, he’s deeply aware of Scripture as well as various scriptural writings. And he is so centered on all of that.”
Glover takes such concepts and fleshes them out in notebooks spilling over with reminders and inspiration. Sometimes at night, when he sleeps, a basic element from his daring past returns.
“I have had some vivid dreams lately,” he said, “And in them, I still happen to have my legs. When I wake up from that, I ideally want that dream to resume.”
But Glover seems far too wide-eyed for mere imaginings. The man who walked across Spain nine years ago is walking a new way toward a challenge that he seems determined to face head on.
