It’s in the bag

My purse lies lifeless in the bottom of a trash pile at the dump. I used it until it screamed at me for mercy. The liner had been torn and it started to hide my things beneath the darkness. On its final day of life, it was drenched with milk yet again. The white flag went up and I had to put it out of its misery. Good bye sassy little purse. I pray you meet your match at the dump and live happily ever after.
I’m on a quest for a new purse. It sounds so simple to me. Go to the mall and find a purse - call it done, right? Yeah, I thought it would be like that. I imagined I would see it from across the store and it would be love at first sight.

After shopping at several stores and then walking the mall I still couldn’t find “the one”. They were either too big or too small. Did I want a shoulder strap or a cross body strap? What do I keep in my bag anyway? Wallet, lip gloss, cell phone & keys. Ok, so I need a small bag so I can’t clutter it up, right? It would be nice if I could throw my camera in every so often. Hmmm…

I stopped to look at what other people were carrying. A girl walked past me with a tiny little purse under her arm. I thought- classic, simple, decision maker easy and to the point. A group of girls came up behind me and they all had large hobo style bags. I thought- whimsical, carefree, prepared with lots of options. Then there were the sensible gals sitting in the food court who had a classic bag that would translate into business or pleasure. The accessory stores with filled with novelty purses for those who swap at their purse with every outfit. Where did I fit? What was I REALLY looking for? What was my purse going to say about me this season?

My mall trip ended with a sassy little tank I found at The Loft for $4.88 and lot of introspection. A purse is just a purse…. or is it? Could it be an outward reflection of where your heart is?