As adults we all have acquired a collection of emotional baggage of all sizes, shapes and colours. It is inevitable that in our individual and collective journeys of life each time we are harmed, perceived we are harmed that we add to our emotional baggage carousel. Having a luggage collection is not always a bad thing. Our life's experiences help develop who we are, our personalities, likes, dislikes our creativity.
It is how we manage our emotional luggage that tends to be the issue for most of us. Whether our bags have wheels, carry straps, or is it a steamer trunk, effects how we maneuver in our lives. Some of us over pack a small bag, stuffing so much emotional detritus into it so it spills out on the ground and on everyone around us, open and exposed. This being so easy to carry we can navigate our personal terminal easy but we leave our crap everywhere becoming emotional litterers. Some of us ,have a huge hardsided suitcase, filled with lots of our stuff, some of it dirty, stinky laundry . Sure it is easy to move around, and looks pretty good. But it's hard sides are a wall that hides who we are. It protects our emotions, not allowing others to see who and what we are, a shield to letting other know us. They see the bag and they know it has stuff in it but cannot see in it. Others still have a huge steamer trunk with just a couple items in it, banging around in big space. We expect to fill it someday because, "well I just may need it based on the fact that I already have something in it". This trunk is hard to carry not because it is full, but because we expect it to be full someday. The emotional steamer trunk says, "Just stay away", as I have been hurt and expect to be hurt again based on the few items in my big box.In life we sit at the life's airport baggage carousel waiting to see our bags arrive so we can continue our trip self exploration. But when we choose the wrong bag to carry our crap in, we dread claiming it, only removing it from the moving belt out of fear, that the management of our bags will make our trip unpleasant. My emotional travel advice, well simple, get a manageable bag, maybe a backpack. Choose the items we need to take with us. The things that make us function , interesting, real people. Leave that extra crap at home. Allow your bags to enhance your experience not weigh it down or scare the shit out of you, others and small animals.. So enjoy your trip, take some pictures, meet some new people, collect your memories, all of them good and bad. And soon emotional travel will not be a burden but an adventure again...
"This trunk is hard to carry not because it is full but because we expect it to be full someday."
ReplyDeleteSigh. Yes. I've been trying to re-orient my brain to think of happiness not as something that is going to come in the future, but as something that belongs to the now. No more expectations. This isn't the beginning of happiness, this IS happiness.
I've always thought that how we travel across boarders is much akin to how we travel through life. As a traveler and photographer, I have carried many different bags, some laden with clothes and gear and others with meaning. But I am beginning to think less in terms of baggage, and more in terms of experience, some bad, some good but every experience a chance to learn about myself. I've gotten my luggage to a minimum, hopefully I can do the same with the weight of my baggage.
ReplyDeleteI have spent the past couple years traveling lightly - figuratively and literally. And I can't even begin to describe or explain just how much weight has really been lifted off my shoulders.
ReplyDeleteIs it significant that I can never pick my bag out of all the other bags on the carousel because it's so generic?
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