Excess baggage

sln · Jan 10, 2012

I manage to reach the station and enter my AC sleeper coach just before the train whistles out of the station.There are four berths in the cubicle .The three berths are occupied by a couple and their teen aged daughter.I find that there is no place for keeping my baggage as the space below the berths is fully packed with their baggage.They pretend to be engrossed with their books and not worried about my discomfiture.I summon up a harsh tone and tell them to make room for my baggage.After mumbling something they give me a little space and have the temerity to advice me on how to push in a strolley and an overnighter in the limited space.The side counter is fully occupied by their knickknacks,short eats and water bottles..Because of their excess baggage, they had to make their overnight journey under my decimating stare.I chukcle imagining them getting a mouthful from thr porter while making payment to him.People pack enough food for a couple of days even for an overnight journey and also satisfy their individual preferences for this journey. .I call these people excess baggers who create problems for themselves as well as others.
You come across ladies carrying three/four handbags,poking others in the flight and saying sorry to passengers on both sides of the aisle.They are the people who open the overhead locker before the aircraft comes to a complete halt,terrorizing the other paasengers of possible head injury in the process.You go to their house –you will find it cluttered with wanted,unwanted opened and unopened packets..You will never find peace in such homes.
We carry our weigh.and our knees are unable to support the weight as years roll by.We get additional baggage through enlarged heart,fatty liver,enlarged prostrate and what not.Doctors advise us to take plenty of water and every drop of water Susan drinks adds to her weight.We carry the weight of our misdeeds in the past.Should we carry this? .As the saying goes”There is no saint without a past and sinner without a future. We carry the weight of uncertainity of the future.I know an old gentleman having got his children well settled is now planning for his grand children,thus carrying the excess baggage.
Now let us come to the central theme of this article.The tendency to criticize others is in my view is the most unwanted excess baggage. we carry.Let me give a case study of one Mr.Vasudevan..He was in his early seventies.His typical day would start with cursing tne milkman,followed by newspaper boy for being late.As he could not sleep after four AM,he would catch the security guard snoring away and and give him a dressing down.He would complain about the caretaker of the apartment complex and often about neighbours for not keeping the garbage bags neatly tied.If nothing was amiss in the complex he would complain about the state of roads,public transport system etc.He would complain about his wife using more coconut in her cooking.If he started complaining about the Chief minister or Prime minister you would know that he was running out of ideas.Devoid of any vice and being a fitness freak,every one was shocked when he died without notice due to a massive heart attack.Ladies and gentlemen the cause was obvious-he was carrying excess baggage by way of constant criticism and ill will towards his fellow human beings.We cant do much about the length of our life but certainly about about its depth and width Cheerful people Doctors say ,resist disease better than the glum ones.”:SURLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM”
“Three men were discussing the frailities of people.One said that the trouble with people is that they eat too much.Second one objected and said that it is not how much you eat but what you eat counts.The third man,a Dotor said that it is neither how much you eat or what you eat but it is what is eating you that is important”.

raji2678 · Jan 10, 2012

Nice article, uncle. But I would support Mr Vasudevan in one aspect - firing the watchmen for snoring. After all, it is their job to guard the building

vchelluri · Jan 10, 2012

Nice article LN sir. Well said about the excess baggage we carry either knowingly or unknowingly which starts accumulating its excess deposits on our health and minds and others.

Latha.

Kamalji · Jan 10, 2012

Dear LN,

Simply superb and mindblowing..Some great lessons in wisdom told so well . The last sentence of the doctor caught my eye, what is eating u, is bad.HAHA

Yes so true, we find cribbers all around us, who just need to crib. in the flight, i just sit down, and let everyone off the aircraft and then i move, when eveyrone is gone, for what is the use to hurry, as u will all meet at the baggage counter, so why rush at all, stand in line, pushing and kjostling .

Well said, sir.Good to see u back, do come often.

Regards

kamal

Megalife · Jan 10, 2012

Dear Laxmi
Your post is an eye opener; we end up drowning in our own excess baggage.
Mega

Arunarc · Jan 10, 2012

Hello LN Sir
You have written what I exactly think about these people carrying excess baggages. I wonder how they might be carrying those, When I was on the western side of the globe I wouldn't see much people carrying extra baggages. But when i am now in the eastern side of the globe I see people carrying so many bags, some times I wonder what do they carry so much in those baggages.
Once I noticed one couple with a kid of 10years might be. Had 6 baggages to be put in the unaccompanied and another 6 in hand(small ones). I was at a point of going and asking them what do they have in those bags and how can these checkin people allow them with so many......
If I carry even a kg extra I am alway caught....might be they are lucky people and I am unlucky in this matter.....hahaha

MY DH had to stop me, just be by yourself or you will see them fighting with you, which I had to just tuck my tail quitely and see the fun.

SM11870 · Jan 10, 2012

Dear LN uncle,

Nice plot, well narrated.Your article is an eye opener to live a healthy life. Just as our excess baggage in a journey creates troubles for us and our co passengers similarly when we all carry the excess baggage of worries,jealousy and other such vices in the journey of life,we bring discomfort for our self as well as for people around us.So,we must know to discard all the extra ounce of load that we carry on our back to keep us physically and mentally fit.

Hope to get some more inspiring thoughts from you!

Shruti

kelly1966 · Jan 10, 2012

Dear LN Sir..
good to see you here after long..
it is so sad that even though we all know that carrying excess baggage be it in a journey or life is harmful but we yet tend to do exactly that...
being content with what you are and have is ironically one of the most difficult task mankind faces... it is always so easy to point fingers at others..
though I must confess I too tend to carry excess baggage while traveling.. a habit I do want to consciously get rid off.
regards
Kerman

sln · Jan 12, 2012

Thanks Raji for your FB.I agree with you on the security guard but because Vasudevan complained about every thing no one paid attention to his complaint on security guard.
Regards
LAKSHIMINARAYANAN

sln · Jan 12, 2012

Dear Latha,
Thanks for your FB.Happiness or otherwise is contagious and generally people welcome only those who radiate positive energy.
Regards
LAKSHIMINARAYANAN.