One thousand, four hundred and twenty-three days ago (but who’s counting?), I wrote another post titled “Baggage,” which was about arriving in Edinburgh without baggage, because the airline had temporarily lost it. I notice, as I re-read that old baggage post today, that I focused less on the pain of the loss and more on the positives of being in a city I love with people I love. Perhaps that’s one way to get rid of baggage — to focus on what’s right in your life rather than focusing on what’s wrong.
Here are some quotes I’m finding about baggage at BrainyQuote:
You carry your country with you, it’s part of your baggage. — Roy Thomson
We humans have millions of years of evolutionary baggage that makes us regard competition in a deadly light. — Vernor Vinge
Painful events leave scars, true, but it turns out they’re largely erasable. Jill Bolte Taylor, the neuroanatomist who had a stroke that obliterated her memory, described the events as “losing 37 years of emotional baggage.” — Martha Beck
Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough. — Charles Dudley Warner
We all have our baggage, and I think the trick is not resisting it but accepting it, understanding that the worst experience has a valuable gift inside if you’re willing to receive it. — Jeannette Walls
One of the main topics of yesterday’s Coping and Healing group was baggage:
Later in the day, I noticed this:
Apparently, everything has baggage, even bubbles.
Do you see any baggage in the rest of my photos from yesterday?
Sometimes I invite people to leave their baggage outside the door, reminding them they can always pick it up on their way out. At the same time, I welcome all baggage and anything else people want to bring in.
Here‘s “Baggage” by Mary J. Blige:
Here’s a song from Rent with the lyrics, “I’ve been trying, I’m not lying. Nobody’s perfect, I’ve got baggage.” “Life’s too short, babe, time is flying, I’m looking for baggage that goes with mine.”
Feel free to leave or share any baggage here.
Thanks to all who helped me write my 2nd baggage post and — of course! — to you, for reading it.
and a couple of summers ago, I arrived in Ireland without my baggage. so symbolic, as my boyfriend of 2 years had broken up with me just a week before my departure. I was given a tiny ‘clean up kit’ by the airline while I waited for my physical baggage to catch up with me, and as for the boyfriend I felt somehow lighter without him and he never caught up with me.
I’m always so grateful to catch up with you here, beth.
It is cooler than I expect for near-June here, too, Ann!
I’m trying to let go of the baggage of expectations about the weather, Mark!
Sometimes you wonder why we carry along all that stuff, since we can’t (a) change it or (b) do anything about it. I suppose it should be (c) let it go, but some people can’t survive without it. I myself have let go of baggage in my life…especially to make room for the baggage yet to come!
Thanks for carrying all these great thoughts over here, Claudia!
It is interesting how baggage is always seen as negative
Some baggage is quite beautiful, Derrick.
Yep
Last summer I went to see some friends and when I picked up my suitcase I said to them, “I know I’ve got a lot of baggage, but I’m seeing a therapist.” I think I’ve told that joke here before, but it’s one I carry around with me so I take every opportunity to drop it.
I appreciate any baggage you drop here, Chris.
Just earlier today I was thinking about some circumstances that plagued me for decades…my baggage in a very broken relationship. Now, decades later, paths have crossed again and the “baggage” of the past seems silly! I think I’m too old to comfortably carry extra baggage. It feels nice to be lighter. 🙂
It feels nice whenever you visit here, Debra.
I am packing my baggage tonight for a train trip to Winnipeg. two of us will be sharing a very small room so we are packing just baggage enough. I laughed at the joke about men peeing standing up and women being awesome, even though I felt a bit guilty about that because men are awesome too. Thanks
Please let go of any baggage of guilt, Maureen. I work on that, every day.
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