Emotional Baggage

As we travel through life it’s inevitable that we will accumulate more and more emotional baggage.  And, you're lying if you say you don't have some sort of baggage.  Everyone has baggage big and small.  Unless you’re a hermit and even then there’s a reason –baggage—for why you chose to live a life of solitude.  

However, it’s not the baggage that’s important.  It's what you chose to do with that baggage.  The way I see it, we have two options in our lives.  We can either carry all the shit onto the plane with us or we can use the check-in counter.

If we chose to carry it on board we piss off our fellow passengers and block off anyone interested in sitting next to us.  So, we end up alone with only our baggage to keep us company.  Doesn't sound like much fun does it?

Our other choice is to check it in.  The baggage is then loaded under the plane.  It seems more expensive but in the long run it save a lot of time and makes you a much more approachable person. 

And here’s the thing about checking baggage in, as time passes you’re going to realize that you don’t really need all that extra stuff.  The emotion attached to that big black suitcase will be gone and it won’t matter if the airline of life has lost it.  You might even ask yourself, “Why was I even holding on to that crap?” 

I've tried out each option.  In my twenties, I carried all that shit with me and found that I wasn't very happy.  My relationships were short lived because my seatmate didn’t like being compared to others.  Now, in my late thirties, I’ve found that using the check in has been the best option.  I still know I have baggage and I think about it from time to time but since it’s not sitting right next to me it’s not blocking me from meeting new people. 

Sure, there are still some things that we carry around.  It’s why we have carry-on bags but if the situation doesn’t fit into that small bag well it should be under the plane.  And, if you can’t let the problem go then you need to take a later flight, spend some time on the ground, recuperating from the last flight.  Then when you’re ready you can get back on the plane and meet new passengers.   

 

Yes, it’s hard to let things go, to move on, and forgive but it’s worth the price if you can acquire new love, see new lands, and forget old hurts.