Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Luggage (08/15/05)
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TITLE: Burdens or Baggage? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Esther Jones
08/18/05 -
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If you carry things with you from the past, personal luggage of that sort can be both painful and annoying. Something unforgotten, unforgiven, but not left behind. Old grudges, resentments, painful incidents can be carried with us as luggage as easily as the proverbial knapsack or duffle bag. Easier, in fact, because it is not physically visible and cannot be forgotten by accident. These are hung on to, or some say, are chained to us and we need the remedy of forgiveness to let unchain them forever.
Luggage, in terms of necessary items for a trip can be a joyful thing, although not all the time. Certainly deciding what to pack is interesting if you have limitations (those travelling to or within Europe know that one.) Those who are on hiking trips or camp outs also face this scenario. What you need and what the weather gives you can really make a difference on what you pack and carry. Hauling the luggage through airports is also no fun, who hasn’t tried to fit the suitcase into a bathroom stall? Making sure you leave room for things you buy on your trip too is important, unless you are skilled at saying no to those fascinating and cheap street markets. But the whole idea of buying a ticket, packing up to go somewhere, even just going into the airport for me carries the air of adventure and very exciting. Luggage then is the scent of travel abroad. Let’s go now (and forget the jet lag.)
Finally, in our household, we use the word luggage to indicate how tired we are – the telltale bags under the eyes. This is a frequent occurrence at times due to stress or insomnia or a combination of both. Travelling overseas can also generate this, as does the hidden baggage of life.
A favourite quote of mine from an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie includes the word that nicely seems to wrap things up. The story behind it runs like this: Arnold and his friend are fugitives from their enemies and at the moment are hiding in the zoo. The ensuing inevitable fight when they are found by their adversaries necessitates the breaking of the glass aquarium that holds the crocodiles. As the reptiles swim out and try to eat anything in their path, Arnold points his gun at one and says, “You’re luggage!” and shoots it dead before it can eat him. If we could learn to turn our problems from things that plague us, (as in definition 1) into things that can carry our burdens for us (definition 2), it would make life a lot easier and perhaps reduce the incidence of definition 3 under our eyes too!
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