The Conveyor Belt

As I waited at the luggage hall near the conveyor belt for my suitcase after completing a long haul flight I couldn't help but notice a young lady struggling to lift her suitcase from the belt.

It seemed as though she was traveling on her own. She had a backpack, hand luggage and a bulky purse. As I watched her juggling and struggling to pick up her heavy suitcase I politely offered to give her a helping hand.

“Excuse me” I said “may I help you” and quickly lifted up her heavy suitcase. I noticed that she didn't have a trolley to help her carry the bags so I offered to give her the one I had.

She nervously smiled and said “thank you for your assistance, it is the first time that I have traveled by air”. I smiled back and asked her “any other suitcases remaining?” she nodded no and looked away embarrassingly and muttered “thank you once again” and she walked away towards the exit.

I made my way to get myself a trolley and placed my luggage onto it. As I walked past the exit I received a phone call. It was from the taxi driver who was directing me to walk towards the car parking bay. I identified the car by its number plate and made my way towards it.

As I reached the car the driver stepped out of the car and we both exchanged greetings, briefly introducing ourselves to each other confirming the booking and the destination. As I was sharing the taxi with another passenger I wasn't too surprised to notice some suitcases already placed in the boot. I quickly glanced over the bags. I felt as though the bags seemed familiar, not thinking too much about it. I moved towards the passenger's seat and to my surprise I happened to be sitting just next to the young lady whom I helped earlier at the baggage hall.

“We meet once again. My name is Disha. What is your name? I asked her as I made myself comfortable in the car. She glanced at me awkwardly, “mine is Nyra,” she said and looked away abashed.

After a few minutes Nyra went on to say “I would like to apologize to you for my absurd behavior” and further went on to address the situation. She said I should have got a trolley for you after all you were kind enough to lend me yours and it was wrong of me to walk away. I am really sorry,” she added. “It's ok Nyra, " I replied with a smile.

Nyra unexpectedly picked up her bulky purse and frantically started searching for something in it. I watched her become pale and she whispered “ I think my phone is lost” and she burst out into tears. Just as I was about to begin to console her I noticed a phone on the floor of the car and picked it up and placed it in her hand asking her to confirm whether that was her phone. Her eyes beamed with relief and she just couldn't stop thanking me for the phone.

I opened a bottle of water which I had purchased at the cafeteria just before leaving from the airport and handed the bottle over to her for her to drink some sips. I watched her as she began to compose herself.

“Are you alright Nyra?”, I asked. She nodded affirming that she was ok.

“Nyra, did You notice at the baggage hall there was a couple standing just next to you helping each other lift their suitcase from the conveyor belt?”

“Did You see an aged lady asking for help from the porter to assist her to lift her luggage and help her push the trolley towards the exit?”

“At the corner a family missed picking up their bag and they had to wait patiently for it to return?”

“There was also a gentleman who had only one suitcase and effortlessly put it on the trolley and he comfortably walked away towards the exit.”

Nyra said that she didn't take notice of anything that I had mentioned to her and looked at me with confusion and began to wonder what was the motive behind this conversation.

“Nyra, it is important for you to become present in the moment. There was so much happening around you but you were so consumed in yourself and you were absolutely unaware of what was happening around you”.

“Remember to organize yourself,” I said to her. Had you been mindful you'd have taken notice of the trolley bay parked at the beginning of the baggage hall and this could have easily lightened carrying all the weight you had from your backpack, hand baggage and even your purse”.

“It is not a crime to ask for help Dear”. Nyra continued to listen. No one knows it all. We learn from experience and also from our mistakes. If you learn something today you never know that one day you can confidently teach or help someone tomorrow. So don't shy away from learning because everyday there is something new for us to learn from.”

“Just like how the passenger had to wait patiently again for his suitcase after he missed picking it up the first time from the conveyor belt one can similarly compare this situation to if one has lost an opportunity one has to look forward for what comes next and not to dwell in the past as opportunities keep coming and keep going. And In-between all the waiting remember to have fun and enjoy life. Don't take life too seriously! Dear let your hair down.”

The taxi came to a sudden halt. As I glanced outside I came to realize that I had reached my destination. The driver alighted from the taxi to remove my luggage from the boot.

As I was about to alight from it too Nyra thanked me and said “I think that I was destined for me to meet you. I have cherished every word that you have shared with me and I am grateful for all the wisdom shared by you. I would like to thank you. I am very grateful to you, she continued.” We shook hands as I got off from the taxi.

Lastly I said to Nyra that the only way to move forward is to take only what you can carry and gracefully leave all that that's weighing you down.