clampett loads and other baggage

On Friday, Jimbo moved the last items out of his house and into chez Jimbo’s girlfriend. The first items I moved several weeks ago were things I definitely needed and that I would use every day, like my desk, computer and clothes that I wore frequently. The last load Friday was what I refer to as a “Clampett load,” which included things I had thought about weeding out of my life, but decided to keep, just in case. I use the term Clampett load because it reminds me of the old Beverly Hillbillies television series and the items they had on their truck. A true Clampett load would always have an old lady in a rocking chair on the back, but I sold my truck and my bentwood rocker to my ex-wife (whom some might refer to as my former old lady). A week or so ago, when I helped tie down the rocker on the back of the truck, I believe I may have referred to that as a Clampett load, also.

I sold or gave away pretty much all of the contents of my three-bedroom house. It is kind of like starting a new life. Not that the old life was bad. I will miss sharing a house with my son. We co-existed for eight years as perfectly as any two people ever could. I raised my voice about something he did the first night he moved in, and I never felt I needed to raise my voice again. Thanks for the good times.

I don’t often get attached to material possessions, but I have to admit that, as it got dark Friday night and my house was virtually empty, I knew I was going to miss the place a little. Life is about starting over but when you start over you can take what you learned before and try to get it exactly right the next time. You may recall the Clampetts landed on their feet.

After all the good stuff is gone, the Clampett loads remain and you can’t just leave them behind. Even if the only logical place to take them is the dump, it is still necessary to do something with them. A true Clampett load consists of things that will make up that last Clampett load a few years down the road when you move again, but you’ll continue to think that someday you may use them. And, maybe you will, but more than likely you’ll just move them again, sometime.

Because in Jimbo’s world, no matter how light we travel, we always carry some baggage we probably don’t need.