Traveling Light

The sight of my attache case sent my dogs in a state of mild depression. My servants tried hard to underplay their glee as they went about helping me pack for a few days’ trip to visit a friend who had shifted to another city a couple of months back. I am not a pervert but I was happy that my dogs were sad and sad that my servants were happy - so happy, at the prospect of getting rid of me for a few days, that I was almost tempted to cancel my trip, if only to wipe the silly grins off their faces.
In an attempt to shift the focus of my vindictive thoughts, I went back to attack my luggage with a ferocity that would have put my dogs to shame. I surprised myself with the speed at which I got the packing done and over with. I hate packing for a journey about as much as I love traveling, but since the two go hand in hand and there is no getting out of it, I settle for procrastinating the unpleasant task till it can be put off no more.
My theory is that no matter how much in advance you complete your packing, you keep tormenting yourself about all the items you’ve forgotten to pack, so I cut my losses by giving myself no time to think, getting ready only in the nick of the moment, It is a lousy theory, even if I say so myself, but I stick to it anyway.
As a result of last-minute packing, I invariably start my journey with a feeling that I’ve forgotten to pack something important. I mentally go over the list of important things and discover that I have forgotten not one but many things. Before I can recover from the slip of having left behind my tooth brush, I am plagued with the thought of having to do with out my eyes - oops, my con tact lenses - for the duration of my stay away from home.
The torture continues even as the beautiful scenery passes me by. And though the list of things forgotten grows longer by the minute, I cannot shake the feeling of having forgotten something ‘really’ important.
On this particular day, I congratulated myself on getting ready well in time to double check that all the necessary items had been packed. I felt extraordinarily pleased as I left my house.
At the bus terminus, I got out of my car and reached out for my attache case only to discover that I had left my meticulously packed attache case back home in the mad rush to catch the bus on time.
I was very upset and looked enviously at my co-passengers loading their possessions in the luggage compartment of the bus. I felt stripped without my luggage but since there was not enough time to go back and get my attache case before the bus left, those who had come to see me off bid me goodbye promising to send my things at the earliest possible.
I boarded the bus with a heavy heart. The bus started moving and I prepared myself for the journey ahead and the self-admonishment that I saw coming. I tried to be mad at myself for letting myself down once again but soon gave up. I never could stay angry with myself for long. As the bus gained speed, I looked out of the window and it struck me that for once I didn’t have to worry about having forgotten anything important as I had made the most beautiful faux pas of having forgotten everything.
I took in everything around me - the magnificent landscape, the melodious sounds of birds, a glimpse of a partridge and a couple of deer - making up for the preoccupation of my past journeys. Time flew and before I knew it, the bus came to a halt at the destination.
I disembarked from the bus and spotted my friend who had come to receive me. She walked toward me and gave me an inquiring look noticing that I had only a purse in my hands. Smilingly, I looked at her and said, ‘I am traveling light’,