I changed my purse today

I changed my purse today.  I used to think it was important for my purse and my shoes to match my outfit.  Nowadays I’m just glad to be up, dressed and out of the house in one piece.  I bought a purse two years ago and told myself I wasn’t going to get another purse until it fell apart.  I’ve carried that purse pretty much exclusively for the last two years.  It is definitely showing signs of wear and tear.   I find myself longing for a new purse, but it is nowhere near falling apart.  It has some stains of unknown origins, but other than that, it is 100% functional and sensible.  It is actually quite a bag.  Frankly, I’m just tired of it.  So today I switched back to my previous ‘go to’ purse.  It is just as worn, but at least I’m not tired of it. 

A fun and impractical bag.

It got me thinking, how much of our personalities are connected to our purses?  Is it a reflection of us and where we are in our lives?  Economics, state of mind, emotional place?  In some ways, I feel I carry my life around in my purse.  My wallet, phone, lipstick, keys, glasses and work ID are essentials.  It also needs to fit my ‘pink book’, a makeup case (a purse within a purse) and even a light lunch.  On any given day you may find anything my son or husband doesn’t have room for in their pockets, recycle or garbage items to be disposed of properly, scraps of paper with ideas and information, phone numbers and the like, business cards of people I meet, flyers, coupons, and a package of gum. Maybe some lotion, at certain times “feminine products”, band aids or a couple tabs of Tylenol.

What would someone know about me from looking at my bag?  What does it smell like?  Me?   What are my likes/dislikes?  Could you have a reality show, “What’s in your bag?”  or “Guess who’s purse is this?”  Contestants could compete to match the correct purse with the correct star. What does Julia Roberts, Michelle Obama, and Liz Taylor have in their purses?  Is it more interesting than mine? 

Picture this for a moment….your mother’s purse.   There it is.  Her wallet, her smell, her lipstick color, her.  A woman can reach right into her purse and know where everything is, keys, lipstick, money.  I wonder, can we reach into our hearts so easily?