I think luggage says a lot about a person. I have a navy blue set, cloth, with a black and yellow strap that snaps around each piece. And my set has 4 pieces--the largest being so super big that only Jet Blue will take it without paying extra. I bought the set on a super BYU bookstore sidewalk sale a couple of years ago and it was served me well, thought it is beginning to show signs of wear. My smallest piece, a carry-on, suffers from a broken slide-out handle: you can still use it, but if you pull it all the way out, the metal handle slides right off. The other pieces suffer from typical airplane baggage-handler mishaps--a few scratches and slipped stitches here and there. And then the second biggest piece is becoming mishapen--I think from all the stuff I've stuffed in and sat on to zip closed. You all know what I mean.
Well, I started thinking about all of this when I flew home after Christmas. I sat at the baggage claim in Baltimore for what seemed like a really long time (doesn't it seem like the earlier your flight arrives, the longer you have to wait for your baggage? It's almost like the baggage handlers stick to the flight schedule and deny you of any excitement of actually arriving early), but I found myself purely entertained as I waited for my blue set. You see all sorts of course: from flashy Louis Vuitton leather bags to pink Disney princess little kids' stuff. I spied one suitcase that came out opened with clothes falling out. Now that's embarrassing. And my favorites are the old school hard suitcases with metal snaps. I saw a green one.
And the little ribbons and labels that people attach so they can know what is theirs at a glance. I saw rainbow straps, green Christmas ribbons, knitted pom-poms, professional black labels, etc. It always makes me wonder what's inside, if the owner is coming or going, why the need to travel, etc. While I'm sure many of those suitcases are full of dirty laundry, I hope some of them have seen grand adventures and good times.
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