Luggage, Baggage, and Burdens... Oh My!
This summer I did a lot of traveling. I collected frequent flyer miles as fast as the airline flew. At the tail end of my travels, I waited by the window for my flight to leave Los Angeles. I looked out at the plane and watched the activity that scurried beneath the jet that would take me home. After I boarded and found my seat, I continued to watch the luggage handlers put suitcase after suitcase onto a conveyer that carried an unending assortment of baggage into the belly of m y plane. Luggage of different sizes and colors. Although some were awkward, most were just regular, ordinary, common suitcases. My seat companion watched with me. She came from a connecting flight and worried that her luggage had not transferred with her. I listened to her fret, but heard the exhale of relief when she saw the arrival of her bright orange suit case on a cart with a few other late bags. The driver pulled up to the conveyer and added her bag. I put on my headphones, opened my book, and t...