After many years, and a countless number of meeting rooms,
airplanes, hotels and rental cars, I am officially announcing the retirement of
my trusty laptop bag. I make this
announcement with mixed emotions. On one
hand, I embrace the opportunity to introduce a new companion along my
professional journey. On the other, I am
losing a reliable resource that has literally hung by my side through thick and
thin. Well maybe the more accurate way
to say it is “through thick and thin and thick again.” (I lost 40 lbs several years ago, but
unfortunately 20 lbs of it were found again.)
Regardless, my companion has been present for many of the successes and
failures of my career and personal life.
I remember the first day we met. I was going through a fresh transition of
personal discovery that led me to decide between the backpack and classic
shoulder bag. The backpack I owned
previously provided me the freedom to ride motorcycles, climb mountains, and
confidently carry both my coffee and my doughnut without fear of impediment. But it lacked the accessibility when I needed
to rapidly access a critical document in transit or an occasional candy bar (the
cause of the 20 lb weight gain). The
decision was made. The classic bag would
allow me to rapidly retrieve these items without removal of the bag’s position,
while also maintaining a certain professional look when trying to impress
potential clients. At that moment, “Sam” and I were introduced. I call my bag Sam in order to eliminate any
direct references to a brand name. If
you are curious about which brand has served me well over so many years, you
can shop your local office supply retailer or ask Lloyd Christmas what Mary’s
last name was when searching for her in Aspen.
Needless to say, it was destiny and we began our journey together.
Selecting a laptop bag is like selecting a car. Or for men, it ranks closely to wallet
selection. The margin of error is
extremely slim. My selection criteria is
weighted by 80% functionality, 10% aesthetics, and 10% coffee resistant. Sam met these needs incredibly. Tom Hanks had his “Wilson”. I had Sam.
Now that he is going into retirement, a questionable void must be
filled. The replacement will have to be
as strong, resilient, and determined as Sam.
And he must be ready to face new challenges that life with me throws at
him.
Truth is, Sam’s life closely mirrors my own. In times I have felt worn out, roughed up,
tossed around, and neglected. But just
like Sam, someone is depending on me just as I depended on him. Someone is expecting me to show up, perform
to the best of my abilities and weather the storms by their side. I may fail, fall down, or get lost. But I will carry the greatest load I can for that
person until I burst at the seams. So
when the day comes that I hang up my straps, I will do so knowing that I gave
them my all. That I did my best to help
them succeed. This is the legacy and the
lesson that Sam has left me. The real
question is, whose Sam are you? Whether
it is your spouse, your children, your employer or your community, be the one
that carries the load. Be the one that
others can depend on. Be the one that
someone can’t do without. And if you are
lucky enough, you may be holding your very own candy bar.
--Jason Dickard
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