For some time now I have been laboring under the supposition that the most desirable quality in a purse/bag/pocketbook/etc., was that it should be small and light. I guess this has something to do with my addiction to de-junking and simplification. Less is more, is it not?
Well, usually….but yesterday, I had an epiphany when it comes to purses. Less is not always more! You see, I have been moving into smaller and smaller purses, but as I have done so, there are so many useful things I’ve had to leave behind.
Case in point: I am always on the lookout for the perfect daybook, something into which I can put all the information I need to have at hand at any given moment. Calendar, address book, to-do lists, etc. I have such a book, and it even contains a front pocket in which to keep stamps, envelopes and stickers, for any impromptu correspondence. But I had decided that I could not actually carry this around in my purse, because it was too bulky and too heavy, and thus I have been leaving it behind, and very often feeling completely at a loss.
Likewise, I tend to be quite an avid coupon clipper/user. But the smaller purse I have been using will not accommodate my coupon envelope, and so whenever I go into a store or a restaurant, I am always exclaiming, “Oh! I have a coupon for that! Only, I don’t have it with me.” Well, what good is that?
Yes, it would be ideal not to have to lug around all this junk on a constant basis. But it suddenly occurred to me that this “junk” is what makes my life not only efficient, but also interesting. It is useful to have at hand, in order to be ready at a moment’s notice for whatever might capture my fancy. Oh! Look at that! Wouldn’t that make a great photograph? Well, pull out the camera. Oops. No camera. My purse is too small, so I don’t take it with me.
Hmmm….here I am, waiting in line, I’ve got ten minutes to kill. Gee, I sure do wish I had my book with me. I could sneak in a little reading to pass the time. But alas…
I think you get the idea. While making my purse smaller, my life has also been getting smaller. And I don’t feel good about that. So, just now, I have moved back into a larger purse. And already I feel an increased sense of purpose, freedom and flexibility. Like a Boy Scout, I am prepared for anything! Well, almost anything. Should Monty Hall offer a crisp $100 bill to anyone who can produce a boiled egg, I don’t think I’ll find one in my purse (well, anyway…I hope not!) Still, all in all, this feels a lot more comfortable.
Oh! And one more thing! Part of the thinking behind the smaller purse is that it is better for your back, not to be carrying so much weight on one shoulder. I have to agree with that. I hate over the shoulder purses. Instead, I have found that the very best purses are those that are constructed along the lines of a knapsack, with straps that you can fling over both your shoulders. Not only do you evenly distribute the weight across your body, but it also leaves both hands free for other activities, whether that be picking up a crying child, carrying a bag of takeout food and a soda, or simply trying to open the car door while talking on your cell phone.
Bottom line: in life, there will be stuff. It’s unavoidable. Figure out which stuff is valuable to you, and have it on hand.
This is true. I used to carry around a humongous purse with me to accommodate all my crap. Then, I realized…Hey, I need my camera like, once every few weeks! And on the other hand, I use a brush and lip gross every day. So, I have started keeping the stuff I use everyday in my purse and stuff I use regularly easily accessible in my room and I can put it in my purse if I think I will need it that day. Another thing about purses…you can always have a large one and NOT fill it to the brim with stuff…
Yeah, but the one time you don’t take your camera, that’s when the flying saucer lands in front of your car and Bigfoot gets out.