The Things I "Hump"

I like the way Tim O'Brien uses the word hump instead of carry, because it implies multiple things not just items or feeling we hold. It implies that these things you hump are worth carrying because they mean something to you and you hold it close, like the pebble Cross holds in his mouth. It also implies things that you just have to bare with, like how Cross had to bare with the memory of Dobbins. Both have a significant meaning to the holder, but carry themselves different baggage.

Physically
The things i carry a lot of things physically, that are not just tangible but are linked to intangible things i bare too. I carry a stripe scar on my right are from wandering around my families ranch in 11 Mile Corner near the horse pins at night, looking for 5 bucks I remember leaving on the ground. I got a decent scratch from some loose fencing around the pin, that happened to leave a scar. This scar will always be linked to being at that ranch for my families anniversary "get-together". I don't know what i would do if i didn't have it, but i do know that i would miss it in some weird way. I try to carry at least some part of my gypsie garb from the 4 years, when i worked at the Texas Renaissance Festival. Whether its my aventurine stone necklace, Celtic knot band, silk pouch carrying a deck of tarot cards, or even the same belt that i used to hold all my various bags and pouches. If i didn't have theses things i would feel like a huge chuck of my life just vanished with pieces if who I am as a person. (I could go on about the many broken bone, scars, and small items that I may not carry on me, but always must keep where ever move. Although I think this is just about as much as somebody would want to read about my personal inventory check of my life.)

Goals
I really don't care how i get there occupationally, whether its through becoming a international lawyer, teacher, anthropologist, or UN diplomat,  my goal is to travel around the world. I want to go from a small Gaelic town in the middle of nowhere in Scotland,  to Okinawa Japan. Because of this, one thing that i always try to be is open minded to other people and cultures. I try to experience new things because what might seem alien to one person means home to another. This value is something i carry to try and achieve my goal.

Relationships
The relationship that I always carry is a person that you don't need to lie who you are to. Whether that be a parent, surrogate family, or good friend. Carrying this person make baring all the other heavier things in life a bit lighter. This is the person that knows the right questions to ask, at the right time, even when you don't even know it. The reason why I didn't name anyone is because they all sort of form the same person, just different facets. Just like how there are hundreds of different deities in the Hindu religion that are really just facets of one universal spirit. All these people are important to me and i carry them all with me individually in different ways, but they all make the same person who is there when needed most.

Personality
Objective, empathetic, and creative. I try to remain objective because form past experiences with other people I have learned that being irrational about things is not the way to go sometimes. This does not mean I don't care passionate about things. I care passionately for my small family, friends, and countless t.v. shows that I watch at one time. Although, I try to keep objective and practical in most situations even though it is not the easiest trait to carry. Even if I may not show sympathy, doesn't mean I don't have empathy. All this might make my personality seem cold hearten and distant, but I is the exact opposite. I believe that being both objective and empathetic allows a person to see things through another persons point of view better and not view the world narrow mindedly. That's where the creativity comes in. I don't mean creativity in an arts and craft kind of way, but rather an open minded way. I don't want to view the world as a hard core Texan that thinks any other person is a Yanky, or an extreme Liberal that thinks a devout catholic is just an unreasonable person that holds on to archaic values. If I could turn my three adjectives into one, it would be moderate. I try not to lean in to many ways, but stay in the middle and be centered.

Memory
If a memory could have weight, the older we get the heavier that load we hump gets. I'm only 16 yet sometimes it feels like my memories have the equal weight of 100 elephants. Some memories carry more weight than others and I carry them happily, whether they are good or bad. Like the three times that i broke my arm. The sound of my bone snapping for the third time and the words "Oh god, not this again", going through my head will be a memories I will carry on with me forever. The first time I had my birthday party at a Schliterbahn in Galveston and going down numerous rides, is a more happier memory that will stick with me as well. The life lessons that both my grandfather and father taught me I well always keep close and I hope to one day share them with my own family.

Even though I feel like I just typed a 5 page paper, I can help but feel that this is just barely scratching the surface of the things that i carry. I'm not about to write a whole novel about the things I carry, but thanks to Tim O'Brien I am going to give more thought to the things i carry and how they shape who I am.