A WRITER'S SUITCASE

Yesterday I wrote a post from this bench on the side of the hill with that kangaroo looking at me and the only sound that of the birds, and the breeze blowing through the trees.  Today, I’m 35,000 feet in the air travelling south.  Squashed into my seat like a sardine with engine noise, crying babies and chatter from my fellow passengers. 

How things can change in a space of 24 hours.  The scenery outside in the cloudless sky is quite spectacular from my vantage point, but as I prefer to keep my feet on the ground, I choose not to look. 

                                                                                    

Nevertheless, in this age of technology, when one has to leave the comfort and convenience of one’s study, or one's bench on the side of a hill, one can virtually take one’s study with one!  Laptop computer, external hard drive, pocket wifi device, iPad, iPhone, and for entertainment when one takes a break from writing, an iPod for music, and a Kindle for reading!

Voila!  Home away from home.  What could be better?

But there is a problem here.  All this technology takes up space.  And it’s heavy to carry around.  Not to mention the fact that it ALL needs to be recharged.  This last point means that one has to fill one’s suitcase with an array of wires, plugs and earphones.  Have you ever got to your destination and found that these wires have entertained themselves during the flight by entwining?  Great for them, but it means that I have to spend hours unraveling them.  Have you ever tried to extract just ONE wire from the rest?  Forget it.

But there’s more!  When I take a look in my suitcase, where are my shoes and that extra sweater and pair of jeans?  Oh, that’s right, I couldn’t fit them in.  So here I am with all my bells and whistles but not enough clothes and shoes to wear,  Never mind.  I have my laptop, my external hard drive, my iPad, my iPhone, my iPod, my Kindle, so all’s well with the world!!!

I can’t help thinking something’s wrong here.