Excess Baggage!

©2011 Joan M. Newcomb

On Wednesday I went to the airport and got in line to check luggage.  I usually only take carry-on,  but because this trip is for an indefinite length of time, I packed everything I'd need between now and November.

There was curbside check-in, but I thought the line was too long.  When I got inside, the line was even longer, but I thought I needed a boarding pass.  I stayed in the inside line, which took forever.  Early on, I thought, why not bop over to the kiosk, grab a boarding pass, and haul my luggage out to the curb?  But I didn't do it. Instead, I joined the mass of humanity and waited my turn.

This is totally unlike me.  I'm a swift and savvy traveler, and not one to stay in the crowd.  I can ascertain what are rules and what are suggested guidelines, and usually operate on the periphery.

When I got on the plane, they announced it would be delayed due to high winds in Denver and an option was given to disembark and rebook for the next day.  But, they wouldn't unload the checked-in luggage.  I was uncomfortable imagining my luggage going on without me, and figured that my connection would also be delayed, so stayed on the plane.

My flight landed 90 minutes late, missing my connection by seconds.  I had to spend the night at the airport.  The next morning I could have tried standing by for a direct flight, but thought my luggage would be on my plane where I had a confirmed ticket.

Turned out, my bags arrived several hours before I did.

My lesson?  Excess Baggage Slows You Down!

When I was standing in line to check my bags, it felt like an analogy for care taking for Alzheimer's.  Most of the caretakers at the support groups I've been to, have been caring for their loved ones for a long time.  They've settled into the decline for the long term.

I'm not there yet with my mom.  And, I'm not here to help her decline, I'm here to initiate change.  I'm here to improve her quality of life, get her social stimulation and physical exercise.  I will dance with where she is in the moment, because Alzheimer's people can shift in capability from day to day. 

And, if I can stem or even reverse it's progress, I will.  Besides diet and nutrition, we're looking at a clinical trial of a drug that does just that.

The energy I felt when standing in line at the airport was heavy, like swimming in molasses.  The morphic field of Alzheimer's feels the same way.  However, just because you have a diagnosis, doesn't mean you have to play out the entire pattern of the disease.

People have received diagnoses of HIV, or cancer, or other life threatening illnesses and defied the odds.  And the first step in doing that is to not match the collective energy, so you can have a different experience.

What holds you to the group experience is your excess baggage, or your 'matching pictures'  (perceptions and energy).  In letting them go, you shift to a different reality.

In your life, notice where you are standing in line with the rest of the crowd.  Notice what holds you there.  Fear of being left behind?  Fear of being punished?  You can remain connected with others without sharing their viewpoints (or their maladies).

Let yourself step out of line once in a while, and have a completely different journey.  

Try this for a week and see what happens!