Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Getting Rid of Excess baggage

July 15

I'm on the road again. Lugging my giant size duffel bag. Strapped to my duffel bag is a suitcase, about the size of an overnight bag, stuffed with books. It weighs a ton. Another bag is also strapped to the suitcase, it is not so heavy and contains files, electronic hook-up things for electronic devices and pens, paper and notebooks.

For a while now, each time I tilt my giant duffel bag, in order to move my luggage from point "A" to point "B", I've been hearing a cracking sound. I look at the handle of my giant duffel bag and I notice it is beginning to crack under the weight of the suitcases strapped to it.

And so, a decision is made. When I arrive in Moncton I shall get rid of all, or most of, my books. The duffel bag can't handle the pressure. When I arrive in Moncton, the airport is quiet. I'm late getting my bags off the carousel. The bags await beside a WestJet employee. I open my book bag. I offer him the books. Another WestJet employee joins us. They put the books on a cart and promise to find homes for all of them.

Realistically it's been stupid lugging those books around. They are English and linguistic reference books. I use the internet to glean information, and haven't much used those books during the year I've been lugging them around. Yet, I've been emotionally attached to the books, and I was sad to see them go. But, I can't risk the demise of my duffel bag.

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