That which We Carry

In my backpack, there are notebooks, folders with class materials, a pencil case (which contains pencils, a pencil sharpener, markers, and highlighters), my stick bag, my identification, my smartphone, $5, napkins, masks, and a calculator.

My notebooks contain, in addition to course notes, a variety of whims I conceived capriciously at various times and felt inclined to write down. 

My folders contain many of the materials which support my learning at school, while my pencil case and calculator provide me with the most basic supplies I need. My identification enables me to obtain lunch every day at school.

My stick bag, which contains the sticks and mallets I use to play percussion instruments, reminds me of an ideal to which I aspire: a connection to music that reminds me of my roots and helps me find peace. 

My mom puts some money in my backpack in case I want to purchase snacks at lunchtime. She also puts napkins and masks in my backpack in case I ever feel ill. Since I have my smartphone with me, I know I can call my parents if necessity ever so mandate. These items remind me of how much my parents care for me, though also of how dependent and vulnerable I am. 

Awareness of my vulnerability and my gratitude towards others endows me with a sense of humility and empathy. I find implicit solace in the assurance that I can enjoy the protection and support of my parents, and I am aware that many are, in this respect, less fortunate than I am. I know my good fortune is an exception to the tendencies of the world, and I try to bear in mind that every individual faces unique obstacles throughout their life.

I cannot fathom what it would be like to leave everything I know behind. Perhaps, the most relevant consideration concerning the plight of refugees, those who carry their most treasured objects with them as they venture on a journey to a foreign land, is that they are ordinary people with human conceits, illusions, and sorrows, and it is their fortuitous circumstances that impel them to undertake their journey.