My husband has this little, ancient, worn-out, ridiculously heavy overnight case that was given to him by his mother when he was very young. It’s the ugliest, least useful piece of luggage you can imagine. She called it a “valise”…trying to put a nice spin on it.
I keep asking why he keeps it. Says he can’t get rid of it. Thinks it’s some sort of family heirloom although he can’t say for sure where it came from. I bet his mother was tired of carrying it around, but couldn’t throw it away – family legacy thing. My take, if it was such a treasure she should have kept it for herself.
It was a strange gift to give to your child…..too heavy for a toddler to haul around, too ugly for a teenager, and too small for carrying your treasures as an adult. In fact, the weird thing is if you open it up it’s empty, but if you try to put something into it there’s no room.
I tell my husband since his mother’s no longer walking this earth there’s no reason to keep it. She won’t know he got rid of it. I certainly don’t want it passed down to our sons. He says he’s not yet ready to get rid of the “stupid bag” – that’s what it’s always been called. Actually, it’s formal name is the “I Must Be…….Stupid, Ugly, Perfect, Fat….put your own word in there” suitcase. We all have at least one.
You know, it’s part of the baggage we haul around for no good reason. Heavy, dense, joyless carry-ons and suitcases we know we should rid ourselves of….but just can’t seem to let go. Dragging behind us like an anchor with not an inch of space for carrying our creativity, curiosity and hope. The bags that no thief would steal, that our friends can’t for the life of them understand why we keep. The bags that are so familiar to us we no longer see them. My advice…………………
Throw the F*@king Bag out already!!
