A couple of weeks ago we traded in our 1990 Suburban and or 1996 Volvo and purchased a new-to-us Toyota Highlander. Quite by accident, the one that fit both our price and mileage range also happened to match the exact color of our bicycles — champagne!
We had a 2-inch hitch installed so that we could use the bicycle rack we purchased at REI’s “garage sale.” Every time we drive our bicycles to a trail head, we are, in fact, giving them a piggy back ride.
Some of life’s loads, while heavy, can enhance the joy factor. Others are detrimental.
What type of load are you giving a piggy back ride to?
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan
No part of this blog post may be used in part, or in whole, without written permission from Laurie Buchanan. Copyright © 2010 Laurie Buchanan — All Rights Reserved.
Tuesdays with Laurie 
Dejunk dejunk (in my best Tattoo from Fantasy Island voice) The load of junk all over the house! I need to dejunk!
Beth – When I dejunk I set up two boxes and start flinging: DONATE and THROW (for people who enjoy eBay or having garage sales, SELL is a great box to add), and then I set emotional attachment aside and just face the stuff down with fierce determination!
I hope I will be giving my Mom a piggy back ride the next few days!!
In Wisconsin stopping for. Gas..
Dejunk Dejunk Love it!
Kim – Minnesota or bust! I can just hear you now. Have a great trip!
Great find!!! Good for you!
What came to mind was the song “he ain’t heavy” these version is by Rufus Wainwright
Jeff – this is a great clip. I’m so glad this popped into your head, thank you.
Laurie there have been times in my life where I’ve given such piggy back rides to so many worries that my shoulders have been up around my ears and I walked slightly hunched over just to pack the weight. Not good I tell ya. Not good at all…. it has taken some focused effort to release my attitude about carrying the “wait of the world.” But it is coming along. Though I don’t think I will ever be completely “cured”… it is in the essence of my being.
Terrill – I’m glad to know that “it’s coming along” — carrying the weight of the world gets extremely difficult after a while. My all-time favorite book is Atlas Shrugged (by Ayn Rand). Bottom line on top: One day Atlas gets pretty sick and tired of carrying the world on his shoulders and shrugs.”
bleep…. swishhhhh! that was me shrugging. What a great concept. I think I will keep that one in my toolkit:))))
Terrill – I’m glad you did the “bleep … swishhhhh!” A great resource for everyone’s toolkit 🙂
Hey, love the color of your champagne piggy back vehicle! (Same color as ours…) Pondering piggy back rides. long pause. Remembering my dad giving piggy back rides. How fun it was. How in his love he gladly carried us. How sometimes we give piggy back rides that are fun and sometimes they are just dead weight. To have the discernment to know when the piggy back ride is healthful, fun and positive…and when it’s time to let go of a burden which no longer serves. Thank you for this inspiration!
Kathy – I remember getting piggy back rides from my dad too. How fun was that?! And then in the swimming pool getting a ride on top of his shoulders as he walked straight into the deep end and then when his head was submerged, letting out what seemed like a never-ending stream of bubbles.
I love when you said, “To have the discernment to know when the piggy back ride is healthful, fun and positive…and when it’s time to let go of a burden which no longer serves.”
Dossiers on my lap when I am moving in my SUV on the workplace 🙂
Elke – I would imagine that they’d slip and slide all over the place — yikes!
Terrill
I think somehow we have sililar views….I thought I was reading my thoughts when I read yours!
I can empathize with most of the posts here.
13 years ago, before moving here to Kaikoura, we sold about 5,000 items in a massive garage sale, and still had 5 2Ton truck loads taken to the dump, and brought 45 cubic meters of stuff with us. I had lived there for 34 years. I don’t like dumping anything that might possibly have a use one day.
When tramping I tend to carry about 80lb in pack – having spare food for an extra 4 days for the entire party, plus emergency gear. Most often not required, and sometimes very useful.
When thinking about problems, I demand of myself solutions that work for everyone, not just myself. I do this for a bunch of reasons, some of them coming from my Christian culture, and some coming from my knowledge of mathematics and games theory that show that true security can only really be achieved if everyone has their needs met. It is not stable to get what we want by cheating anyone of anything at any level (people have long memories – trans-generational).
I tend to do lots of things together.
Just this morning I called my surgeon, to get him to look at the lump on my cheek, he said he had a cancelled appointment this afternoon, and he should be able to take it out straight away, so then I called for another ultrasound scan, and piggy backed that on the trip. So now it looks like that by about 6pm today I will have had the lump on my jaw removed, and another scan, neither of which were on my plan yesterday.
Interesting times indeed.
Yowza Ted – And still had five 2-ton truckloads after selling 5,000 items. That’s a staggering vision!
I love what you said, “I demand of myself solutions that work for everyone, not just myself.” If I ever get stranded on a deserted island, I sure hope you’re around with your pack of spare food (plus the ingenuity to get us off).
I went over to your BLOG and got a few more details regarding the lumps in your jaw. Please keep us updated!
Nice new ride, Laurie. And I will comment on the piggy-back in a moment, but Ted’s post above caught my attention. I so appreciate what he said about how true security comes from everyone having their needs met. I do hope that in the case of the lump on his jaw that he forget worrying about a solution that works for everyone and just focus on the one that works for him.
The piggy back idea is really brilliant. For a little bit extra work, when we reach the end of our trail, we will have double of what we set out with. I know that I am piggy-backing a second Master’s degree and Ph.D. along with my federal career so that by the time I am eligible to retire from the federal government, I will have a second career to look forward to.
Barbara – Thank you for your visit. I so agree with your statement regarding Ted, “…just focus on the one [solution] that works for him.” You’re piggy-backing to beat the band — but it sounds like it’s one of those positive, uplifting, constructive, and healing types of “loads.”
I have been dumping unwanted piggies for about 6 months now. Picking up the stray worry, whether it belonged to me or not, had become second nature to me. I had picked up so many loose piggies to nurture and mind that it finally broke my heart. I simply couldn’t worry over my grown children’s upsets and setbacks, the State of the Union and the State of the Market, the weather and God only knows what else and still support my own weight. When my doctor suggested he could find no true organic reason for my heart attack but simple stress, I was dumbfounded. Me? Ms. Laidback? Stressed? I have never been a handwringer, a nailbiter, a bundle of nerves. I just ran all the time, trying to out race Time itself. Now I ask myself, just how much of my time and self do I really want to invest in an issue, and what will be my return? While I have yet to float above the treetops, I am no longer obligated to make every cause my own, nor every issue my burden to bear. I am simply quite happy to just breathe and mind my own bees wax for the present.
Sandi – Your poignant statement brought tears to my eyes this morning, “I had picked up so many loose piggies to nurture and mind that it finally broke my heart.” Isn’t that the way of it sometimes? We don’t set out to do it, but with the different hats we wear (mother, sister, daughter, neighbor, co-worker, spouse, and so on), we can start picking up piggies here and there and before you know it, we’re so loaded down we can’t move (or our heart gives out). You’re absolutely right in that not every burden is ours to bear.
I’m gonna take your great advice and “just breathe and mind mhy own bees wax for the present.”
Kathy
I enjoyed your thoughts!!
Have a great evening.
I am staying with my mother in law in Minnesota….
We just got done watching some shows from BBC…Hilarious!!
Good morning, Kim – I trust your Minnesota adventure is going well.
Good Morning to you….
I am just getting to see the new vehicle!
Very nice and color color-coordinated too!!
I just am sitting here in the hospital room…..We have had neurologist, rheumatologist, surgeon, Internal MD, 2 chaplains, nurses, Medical assistants, dieticians, etc…..
Its a real happening place!
Mom is still tied to the bed and is unable to move much fromt the waste down. Her foot is getting a bit of circulations. They are concerned about her atherosclerosis and Raynauds Syndrome……she is having trouble breathing and getting enough oxygen, she has an oxygen tank and they have increased it. Didn’t help as well that they put her tube on her nose upside down! LOL
I am most concerned when she goes in and out of consciuosness and has neurological hallucinations and moves her hands as if she is doing something, Yesterday she was crochetingn in her sleep…..She was doing this when I stayed with her last week as well….It is scary that you can be talking with her and all of a sudden she dozes off and starts dreaming and clearly acting it out with speech and motions….
I brought her a Pioneer Press paper this morning and yesterday, she was thrilled! I also gave her a little blue teddy bear to keep in her bed…..We named him Grayson…..
:hugs::
Kim
How’s your mom doing today Kim? It’s nice that she’s got Grayson to keep her company 🙂