Bags...or baggage?

Montpelier, Monday 4th June 2011

Saturday was a day of travel. It was a long day involving several different modes of transport. First, the bus! The X95 was back in action and the drive from Syntagma Square to the airport seemed to take less time than the taxi ride of several days ago.

The Alitalia flight to Rome was straightforward and my reception at Fiumicino was almost unbelievable. Within minutes I had collected my backpack and was out of the airport. Then I experienced several of the different types of rail service in Rome which got me eventually on to a fast train to Florence.

At Florence I had plenty of time for a meal. I think I got the Italian equivalent of  'menu del dia'. It was delicious. I lingered a while but still had time to kill before the tiring, overnight coach journey to Montpelier via Marseille. We ran late, but the welcome in Montpelier more than compensated. I was reunited with the young couple whose wedding I conducted in Sydney in January. They had invited me to join them in Montpelier and be included in the celebration of their marriage with the French bride's family.

After the excitement of Athens and the challenge of travel from Greece to the south of France, I'm hoping to chill out this week, relax and experience something of 'bon vivant'.

I had an interesting first-time experience at Athens airport while queueing to check in at Alitalia. I was suddenly aware of the vast amounts of luggage accompanying most of the people around me. In all the departure points I've been in during the past 10 weeks I've not noticed this aspect with the strength and clarity it brought to me in Athens. Big, and I mean jumbo-size, suitcases were bulging. Many people toted two of these monsters, as well as a variety of carry-on luggage. I couldn't help wondering what on earth people took with them on their various travels. Was it all absolutely necessary? And did they get full use and value out of what they laboriously transferred from one point to another, to another? (perhaps this is connected to the comments I made from Istanbul concerning possessions and merchandise!). I looked at many people who just seemed so burdened.

And then my thinking took a parallel path. How much baggage, I wonder, do people trudge through life with? This can be material possessions and the need to own, or striving to perform, to gain power, wealth, fame, or even popularity. Then there is the enormous emotional baggage that cripples some people.

Dumping unnecessary baggage is not easy whether it's sorting out a wardrobe or working toward an emotionally healthy life. It takes time, application and, often, persistence and perseverance when the pain gets so acute that we want to give up.

Some years ago I downsized my home with an accompanying de-cluttering of possessions both household and personal. The effect was amazing. As I released my ownership of 'things', I realised that I was being freed - of their ownership over me. I know I need to repeat this de-cluttering activity from time to time if I am to continue in the freedom and liberty it gives me.

Even longer than just 'some years ago' I was encouraged and aided to sort out the emotional baggage that I had carried for too long. It was a process rather than a single event. Indeed, the process is ongoing. At times it was extremely painful. I wanted to cry out 'Stop'. Furthermore, there seemed to be absolutely no improvement or progress. Somehow I found myself persisting. Eventually progress was made and a sweet release of what I consider to be the real me. It's not complete, I'm not fully there yet. But sufficient change has occurred to encourage me to keep going, and keep growing.

Queueing can yield surprising results, if we allow ourselves to go with our thoughts. Whether at check-in or checkout, we can gain most interesting insights. But enough of this philosophising that comes from watching people hump suitcases. I'm off to experience some real French 'joie de vivre'.