The Things We Carry.
{Photo via Tumblr}
By Mercedes Calcano
From the moment we wake up each morning to the end of the day, we move around and go everywhere, taking with us those things we cannot dispense with: documents, paperwork, cellphones, iPad, iPod, laptop, charger, etc.
A usual morning might begin with having to carry, or should I say, having to drag our bodies to the restroom to clean up and shake the webs of our mind. Grabbing that cup of coffee or tea ensures the necessary clarity and emotional stability needed to knock on the kids’ doors… but on the way, we stop to pick up dirty clothes, X-Box games and homework papers, and the glasses, plates and other items that did not make it to the dishwasher.
If our lives are constellations, the things we carry, backpacks, purses, briefcases and wallets, are the stars.
Have you ever gone through the contents of a women purse?
My mother’s purse could have seconded as a First Aid kit for any disaster relief or unexpected event. Broken machines? She had screwdrivers, pliers, tongs, even a small hammer! Feeling sick? What do you need? Heartburn, allergy or pain relief pills? Cough drops, antibiotic cream, Band-Aids?
Or do you just want to catch up? She has a story in pictures of husband, child, and grandchildren.
The things we carry!
I imagine that Saint Peter’s key chain carries more keys than my Mom’s, but I could still place a solid bet on her.
Let’s not forget the What ifs. What if I cannot get home before my party? What if I can’t make it to the meeting? Or if I want to go to the gym? How do you expect me to go without my special lipstick, face powder, nail polish, hair pin, and, and, and…
The things we carry!
The Cosmic Universe of bags expands like Matryoshka Russian dolls — large purses fill up smaller wallets, which fill with even smaller things. Sun and reading glasses, lotion, car keys, and the dog’s leash — Check!
And as in any other sci-fi story, we have intergalactic attacks! Who is going to carry the things your husband and kids have no place for? Your Star trek ship grows bigger!
My mother likes bags with lots of pockets and zippers. Things won’t get lost.
The things we carry!
The things above are visible accompaniments of our daily journeys; they do speak about our likes and dislikes, obsessions, worries and habits, hopes and dreams… in short, our lives. Still we carry them from birth till the end of life.
What are these, really?
We carry our mental structure, feelings and everything that stands for who we are; memories, loves and hatreds, fears and anxieties, expectations and alike.
The things we carry!
Human beings carry their inner landscape; our characteristics follow us as shadows. The environment in which we are placed is like a shirt; we should know what it looks like before we wear it.
Every person is a psychological entity, a conglomeration of feelings, determinations, and decisions. Although we see ourselves as only the body that carries us, our destiny depends on the conditions of our minds. It is through our thoughts that we shape the messages our soul sends, by means of emotions, intuitions or physical sensations.
We live in society and become conditioned to it. We carry our family names, roles, strengths and weaknesses. What we lack, we ask for, and we also give what we have to others. (Yes, our social relations and gifts are also a commodity we carry.)
However, escaping even the greatest power of introspection are deeper and inscrutable associations, those ruled by Cosmic Laws, awaiting to be discovered; our relationship with the whole of Nature, including everything in this physical world and in the intangible one of possibilities and potential.
The things we carry!
The whole world is with us and we carry it in every decision, choice, environment and relationship of our lives. The world and the beyond are placed in the bag of our bodies and identities by the Universe as promises, a gesture of goodwill and cooperation to support and embrace us.
We are a more than a social unit, an individual named X, or citizen of a particular country. We are citizens of the world. Humanity is larger than a country and that we carry it as well.
So tomorrow, and every day after, when the alarm clock rings and you wake up, remember that you are an amazing being carrying not just things; you are a soul carrying a purpose. Be sure you know how it looks, sounds, feels, and tastes so it won’t get lost in your bag.
“They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.” ~ Tim O’Brien
*****
Mercedes Calcano is a time traveler, a long-life learner and adventurer, in love with the magic of life and a firm believer in the alchemy of art. She is passionate about bringing the extraordinary into ordinary life and easing the way for others to allow possibilities to shape their experiences. Mercedes wants to inspire others to unveil the artist within and bring mastery and purpose to life. She sees beauty and creativity as a path to remember the poetry of being human. Mercedes is a professional musician and visual artist and the founder of ARTLeads-U, an art-based program focused in developing authentic leadership through a deep and joyful understanding of our natural creative abilities and life calling. Her blog Simply Drawing Life explores art and life as truthful and magic mirrors of the inner and outer Universe and its potentiality. You can contact her via her website or LinkedIn.
{What Are You Carrying?}
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