The "Ultimate" Bag

Today I am grateful for a good 4-H camp experience for my son Sam. I am also grateful for my five senses. The last time I checked, they were all in good working order. You may want to check yours. It's a good dose of gratitude right off the bat.

In helping Sam get packed for camp, I decided to let him use a bag that has been mine for a long time. It was almost time to retire the bag. I can't remember when I got it, but it had to be around 25 years ago. I don't remember where I bought it, but it's not a brand name model and it wasn't expensive. The name on the tag is "Ultimate." (Though if you would have asked me about that name all these years I have had it in my possession, I would have had no idea it said that without looking at the bag itself.)

I got my money's worth and then some. It has covered many miles, been packed and unpacked dozens and dozens of times, been put in and taken out of a wide variety of vehicles. It may have even flown a couple of times, though I usually take the more durable suitcases for that. It was the right size for a weekend for someone like me who always needed her running shoes and attire along, and who always packed some extra clothes just in case.

It's a pretty basic black duffle bag, with three side pockets. Those side pockets came in handy and I got used to packing certain things in certain places. That made them easier to find when needed. It has developed a couple of holes in recent years, and isn't in good enough shape to donate. So I decided Sam's camp trip would be a fitting last trip for the bag, versus sending him with a newer, nicer bag that would have taken a beating.

I took a picture of it before officially throwing it away. But the picture doesn't do it justice. There are too many stories it could tell, too many memories it could help me relive. I will miss the bag, but ultimately I am grateful for the use I got out of it, and grateful to have traveled as much as I have.

Do you have an "ultimate" bag? What stories could it tell?

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