Most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for and attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities.” ~Dalai Lama
There's a certain degree of finality watching the truck containing your stuff leave the curb. If all goes well, the stuff will be next seen on "the island". Our attachment to it tells us that where our stuff goes, we must surely follow. Our stuff seems to run a good portion of our lives.
The much-anticipated Packout Day was yesterday. In the few months we had lived in the DC area, we managed to accumulate more than a few things that may be useful over the next 2 years. Having a Costco just down the street was both a blessing and a curse. (Will we really eat THAT MUCH peanut butter?) Then there was the stuff of dreams: the beach towels, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, snorkels, fins (see
the theme here . . .) And no matter how much information one has about the island, do you ever really know if the stores will carry your particular favorite dentifrice, soap or shampoo, so why not stock up?
One great lesson we learned from our class on moving overseas (yes, there's a class on that) was to pre-pack the suitcases, with passports, tickets, and important papers and then to set all of that into an off-limits room (bathroom or closet) to avoid unpleasant surprises after the moving van has gone. Done. I checked and re-checked to make sure we still had the tickets, passports, shot records, and dog health certificates.
Once the stuff is gone, an amazing lightness of being befalls. Shelly and I look at each other in our corporate furnished apartment: there
is no more shopping, no more acquiring, no more worries that we missed getting something. This may be the zen of packing out. The thought occurs. What if that crate fell into the ocean, never to be seen again? Would we miss the stuff? How attached am I to this stuff? What about the stuff we packed up from Albuquerque 5 months ago? Sitting in some warehouse somewhere. Have we survived nicely without it?
Found a nice webpage on Zen and attachment to think through this. See it
here. Some thoughts from the Zen/web master:
. Learn what it looks like to grasp at people, things, or circumstances so you can redirect your thoughts when they veer toward attachment. When you dwell on keeping, controlling, manipulating, or losing something instead of simply experiencing it.
Define yourself in fluid terms. We are all constantly evolving and growing. Define yourself in terms that can withstand change. Defining yourself by possessions, roles, and relationships breeds attachment because loss entails losing not just what you
have, but also who you
are.
John Stewart ends his Daily Show with what he calls "your moment of zen". This was mine today. So to Carlos and the crew from JK Moving: thanks for bringing me to the edge of enlightenment . . . but don't lose my stuff!
I've mentioned before that part of my job in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean generally is to work with other countries and their militaries to combat the scourge of piracy off the Somali coast. I was in the Embassy only a few hours as the new Political/Military Officer before we kicked off a long-planned training session for coast guard and maritime personnel from four impacted countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Seychelles, and Mauritius are all impacted by the problem of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Somali pirates have become very adept at assaulting large vessels, boarding them quickly with guns and rocket propelled grenades, and threatening the crews with grievous harm or death if a huge ransom is not paid. It is organized crime on the high seas. Secretary Hillary Clinton calls it a 17th century crime taking place in the 21st century. The United States military, particularly the Navy, has forcefully responded to this challenge. Part of its response to assure maritime security is to offer training to the police and military organizations of the region in an attempt to apprehend and capture the pirates on the high seas. Proper training is essential to not only stop and capture the pirates, but to assure that we have sufficient evidence to put pirates on trial, get convictions, and put them in jail. I hit the ground running in my first week of work. The Embassy and its personnel worked with the US Navy and the Mauritius Coast Guard to stage such a training program in Mauritius. At the end of the training, and in the absence of the Ambassador and Charge d'Affaires, I was asked to deliver the graduation speech and help with the ceremony of delivering certificates to the multi-national group of trainees. I spoke about the need to continue to work cooperatively to resolve this problem; and the need to train professionals to address it. It was a great honor for me to do this, particulary in my first week living here. I spoke in French, English, and even tried out a few phrases of Mauritian Creole. I am particularly proud to be representing a country that cares about providing training for all nations to protect important international shipping lanes; keeping commerce flowing throughout the world. It's good work, and I'm so pleased to be working side by side with these pirate fighters. 
