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I would like to thank American Airlines for putting the possibility of a fee for checked baggage out there in the news recently. They have provided work/life-minded individuals like myself with one of the finest metaphors going, and even inspired some ideas on how to implement that metaphor to the benefit of our interpersonal relationships.
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So the airlines are talking about charging us a fee to check our baggage. Already, pundits are saying this will make everybody cram everything they own into bulging carry-ons just to avoid the fee. Well, there’s more than one kind of baggage, as anyone who has ever considered couples counseling understands. I’m talking about emotional baggage. And the fact is, if we don’t all learn to check it, we’ll be cramming it into the overstuffed carry-on of our psyches and making life miserable for everyone else.
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Therefore, I suggest all homes and business institute an emotional baggage check plan, with appropriate fees attached. At the workplace, it will make co-workers think about how their head games might be affecting others, and in a home environment it will make housemates…um…think about how their head games might be affecting others. And I certainly number myself among those who could benefit from a little baggage check penalty. Once the baggage is checked, it’s out there on the table as it were, the fee has been paid, and everyone can get on with the business of working and living. Even better, everyone now has a reference point for non-productive behavior, and can cite it during any future flare-ups. Here’s a sample fee structure for checking emotional baggage in the workplace:
