Will you be checking any bags today?

We all have baggage that comes from life experiences. I like to think that I carry mine in a Versace handbag. If I run out of space I can put it in my Dolce and Gabbana backpack. I should probably get a large one in case some extra baggage shows up that I previously didn't know about. Baggage has a way of doing that. It just appears at your doorstep one morning like a forgotten college roommate looking for some breakfast. In the time it takes you to make bacon and eggs they've already moved into the basement. Then your Versace handbags are bursting at the seams and you think, "I wonder if Ralph Lauren makes large wagons?"

We all try to dress up our baggage so that it looks the most presentable. In fact we try to present it in such a way that it doesn't look like baggage at all. "I'm just watching this for a friend. They said I could try it on if I wanted to. I'll give it back in a few weeks. I swear it's not mine." You would think the longer we have our baggage the easier it would be to hide but it still feels like walking your pet elephant around the lake. No matter how many times people watch the nature channel they will still be staring when it's hosing off in the water. Then everyone will want an elephant ride and before you know it you've got a full blown circus with clowns and trapeze artists and some bald guy eating fire.

I think we need to come up with a better name. The word baggage conjures up images of fifteen suitcases filled with phone books and pipe wrenches. Who needs that? I would like to propose the word 'accessories'. History of rejection? No. That's a Rolex. It matches my suede jacket of disappointment. Do I see a shawl of bad relationships? Well then, you're going to love my alligator skin boots full of broken dreams. You see, that sounds much better. Go ahead friends. Accessorize all you want. And don't be afraid to use some color. Just remember not to wear white after labor day. And if you're taking the pet elephant out for a jog, remember to bring tickets.