This past weekend my fav cousin asked me last minute to hit the town with him. Seeing as it was his last night in Ottawa and I was in desperate need to leave my troubles on the dance floor I jumped at the offer!
We ended up at the Honest Lawyer, a venue I had not been to before!
Within a short while of being there these two guys stopped to talk to me and a friend. Before you knew it I was in the swing of it, flirting up a storm. We hit the dance floor. And the chemistry was unreal! Suffice to say I was about to make a poor decision when my cousin stopped me. He explained the situation to the guy and I went on my merry way. About 15 minutes later, to my utter astonishment he was at my side. I looked at him and asked "I guess my cousin told you eh?" He shrugged, said yes and asked me for my number.
(I don't think this will go anywhere, I don't especially want it to. He was after all the first boy to talk to me my first night out as a single lady, but I believe his purpose was to PROVE to me that other people can make my heart beat faster)
My point is this: Baggage
I was afraid that once he found out I had all this baggage he would run away scared, and in the future so would other potential suitors.
But the more I think about this term, the more I find it to be unsuitable. Actually- darn right damaging to the way we deal with negative experiences.
When standing on a crowded bus it is common courtesy to remove your backpack. A purse can be left behind in a fitting room, or stolen from. When flying there are limitations on baggage: purses count as carry ons. The other carry on must fit in a certain space. But not only that, there are limitations to what is IN my carry on baggage. Checked luggage can only weigh so much, or else there is fee to pay.
Even though life is a journey....Life is not an airport.
Emotional scars are not the same as baggage. They do not hinder me. I have no limitations to the amount I can bring with me. No one can steal my pain away (although sometimes I wish you could) and I can not easily forget it. There is no weight or size limitations that your soul can hold. The only common courtesy is to not obsess and wail in public about them. Instead I view each "baggage" situation as a learning experience. Not something that weighs me down but makes makes me lighter with wisdom and experience and knowledge to take on the world with gusto and confidence. All life experiences be it good or bad teach me, show me, shape me into someone stronger and wiser, these characteristics do not limit me but aid me in my trip.
So here is the thing; you can either view your life's nastier experiences as a Brand New Shiny Vintage Dior, or you can complain about the out-of-the-trunk knock off that fell apart to soon.
As in all things in life. It's your choice.
