The Traveler

By: Shazia Yousuf

I had been quite busy for the past few days, getting a couple of things done before I travelled out of town. Being away from home for a month requires a number of things to be taken care of. I had a list of tasks and would put a tick mark against each item as it was completed. Some of these tasks were job related, some included social responsibilities that I had got myself involved in, while others were just pastime activities that require regular attention. There were some very significant things to be taken care of before I left. I could also not leave any of those responsibilities undone, as it would disturb the lives of those who depended on them.

And then there was planning of what to take and what not to take with me, packing only the necessary luggage so that things are easy to manage while travelling. Too much luggage is a hassle, and a burden to carry. All this while, I was also planning not to over buy grocery, since we would be gone for a month and it would all go waste.

I had very little time and a lot to be done. Every hour every minute was important and I was constantly on the go.

While doing all this, an inimitable thought suddenly dawned upon me. I realized - life itself is a journey and we are travelers; this world being a temporary abode! But sadly, this journey of life is burdened with the weight of excess baggage.

We have become too involved in the present, and we keep ourselves too occupied with so many superfluous activities, which have made our lives fairly complicated and elaborate, hardly finding time to spend with our loved ones. And when we have to pack up and leave, all that will remain is regret!

We need to add simplicity to our lifestyles, make the most of whatever time we have, and get all those important things done that we keep pushing off for a later time; the most significant of which being deposits in the emotional bank accounts.

"We are travelers on a cosmic journey…We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis (digression) in eternity." (Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist)