A few weeks ago, I was leaving the Nashville Main Library when I ran something quite enlightening happened. I had been in between appointments, so I had stopped off at the library to get a little work done. It was time to go to my next appointment, so I packed everything up and headed to the elevators.
I had my usual two bag system with me that day. I had my APC Rolling Laptop Bag and my “jump bag“, which is a freebie bag courtesy of Microsoft. My laptop, tools and what not go in the laptop bag and the “jump bag” has all my paper stuff (Moleskines, etc) and my AlphaSmart Dana Wireless. The two bags go well together, because the “jump bag” can hook on to the handle of the laptop bag and I can just roll both of them behind me.
I rolled up to the elevators and there was already a young gentleman standing there waiting. I would guess his age to be about 13 and in a few moments after my arrival, the elevator arrived and we both boarded the lift. After pressing the ground level button, the young man turned to me and asked me, “Do you live in a hotel?” The question confused me, so I asked him to repeat himself and he replied saying exactly what I thought he said, “Do you live in a hotel?” With a confused look on my face, I simply replied, “Umm, no. Why?” The young man then said, “With all that stuff, I just thought you were from out of town.” I smiled and nodded, then the elevator doors opened and we both went our separate ways.
Two things struck me as I left the library. The first was the young man’s choice of words. The way he asked if I lived in a hotel sounded as if that idea intrigued him. Either that hotel living must be really cool, or that he had never stayed in a hotel. It wasn’t “are you staying in a hotel”, it was “are you living” in a hotel and the tone of his voice suggested that those who choose that lifestyle are hoi poli or something. That idea made me chuckle. The second thing that stuck me was the fact that this young man thought that I had enough crap with me that I must be carrying luggage for an extended trip. That idea had me rolling with laughter.
As I laughed my way to the car and then continued giggling as I drove down the interstate one thing became clear – I think I need to downside my daily gear. 🙂
That reminds me of my senior year of college. I carried 2 bags with me. One that had my laptop, wifi access point, portable printer, palm, palm keyboard, enough cabling of different varities to open up a mobile branch of compusa, and then my 2nd bag with all of the notebooks and paperwork needed for all of the projects that I had going on at once. Many times I thought of getting out my frame backpack and just using it.