ever noticed how people are so attached to their bags/baggages?
just this morning, on my commute
i decided to get coffee on the boat instead of getting it from my coffee vendor
to sip at leisure in my cube...
well, that means not a lot of seat left to enjoy the view
so i looked around & sat as close to the view of the ferry approaching downtown manhattan,
& found one ok spot - if not for this guy's computer bag (excuse me, it's leather so...)
sitting right where i want to sit & enjoy my coffee...
thinking that he would move his bag, i sat down beside him...
& whatdya' know, he wouldn't move an inch of himself or his bag!
(as if he paid for that space!! when we all know the ferry ride is still free)
i looked at him with my "if looks could kill" eyes but...
he pretended not to care...
of course, this must be tough on his part too...
no one, but no one, has ever been able to withstand my cold, flying dagger looks...
he must be truly insensitive, having chills up & down his spine, or totally numb in the mornings!
...So, i shrugged it off,
moved a few inches towards the other side of this warm wooden bench...
mtm, the guy sitting next to me, an older dude with a pouch belly,
gave me the "look" as i placed my coffee gingerly between us
...that small space for my butt, my precious morning drug (the coffee),
& the guy on my left's computer bag, & this guy with the pouch belly...
made my morning something to sigh & blog about...
it's like a Charlie Chaplin silent movie...
& i'm the damsel in distress...except i'm annoyed, not distressed.
makes me wonder out loud,
what is so precious about all our bags???
women with their purses, book bags filled with other smaller bags...
like cosmetic bags, lipstick cases, fanny packs ( i can't imagine how they got that name!)
cell phone bags, black book bags, lunch bags & other junk,
& you get men, with their computer bags, backpacks filled with
God knows what?!
it's like, Hello!!! why are we lugging our life around with us...
on our daily grind...to & from work???
when most probably we won't even have any time
to even look at the contents of these baggages,
or at best do the errands, reading books, writing notes
that we plan for carrying these baggages around with us...
all day long...only to throw them at the floor of our cubes/ or offices,
inconsequentially forgotten until it's time to close shop again & go home?
& we do this day in,
& day out...
trudging with our heavy bags as tho they're our beasts of burden...
i used to be guilty of carrying my life around me,
wherever i go,
even if it's just to work
or for a quick jaunt in the city...
but that's my commuter mentality,
afraid to leave anything behind...
afraid to let go of important stuff from home,
in case what?!
in case I die on my way to & from work?!
which could happen, by some freakish coincidence,
& sometimes unfortunately happens to some unfortunate souls,
like the freak accident on the S.I. Ferry last year?!
But when that happens,
a one in a million chance...
how does carrying a big bag help?
unless u have some first aid emergency kit in there,
or a built-in accident insurance,
or a shield against muggers, better yet, a gun!
i can't think of anything else...
but nothing in your bag can really save you from an accident...
nothing in your bag can really prepare you for what Life
has in store for U for that special day...
IN THE MOMENT...
that's where U need to be...
that's why i stopped carrying my Life around
like a ball & chain...
& started travelling light,
or lighter... i have a small cute red purse now
that i put only my most basic necessities
to go out for a day
away from home...
& when i really need to,
i carry another small shopping bag...maybe
for one book or a magazine,
or paper to read...
for a lunch bag if i decide to,
that's all i need.
my baby's photos are in my wallet
everything else is basic,
a little money, a couple of credit cards,
a lipstick, chapstick, face powder,
a pen & my address book, some paper (just in case i'm inspired to write)...
sometimes i can fit a bill or 2 in there,
if i really need to check on some current money issues...
otherwise, nada - nothing more
about my life in my little red bag...
on days that i need to go somewhere else
like Yoga, or after work stuff...
then i might carry my bigger bag,
with a fresh change of shirt & socks,
a place for my Yoga mat,
a CD walkman...(an Ipod is on my wish list)
for that long, tiring commute back home,
after a long day in the city...
Someday, i would love to travel really light...
with not even a bag...
everything will be on me,
without being too bulky on my clothes,
just to feel complete,
with my hands free,
& my mind free to wander as they please,
& my heart open,
In the Moment....
& then someday,
i will travel really, really light...
as in ...nothing on me,
nada,
just me & my body,
naked...
& my spirit,
unbound.
That would be the Day.
till then,
trudge-ing on...
& blogging about it...
- J
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