A few years ago I happened to walk through the pocketbook section in a department store in New York City. The brands displayed included Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Prada and more. I was blown away by the prices. Some went as high as $5,000 or more.
I have bought my fare share of purses but I have never spent a great deal of money on them. To me they served as more of a way to carry necessary items rather than as fashion accessory. As I’ve gotten older I have chosen smaller purses since I do not want to burden my body with something that can create bodily damage. In fact if I could I would chose to not have one at all.
In the past I have had purses that could carry an entire array of makeup, including a mirror, books, snacks, and calendars. I used to call it “the abyss”. I should have carried a flashlight to be able to search through all the spaces in order to expedite finding what I needed in the moment. Frustration was often a part of my purse experience. I used to accompany my search with a song from The Seven Dwarfs. “Did, dig, dig, dig, dig, the whole night through”! I often ended up taking everything out in desperation,which could happen anywhere, in order to find an item I needed immediately.
There’s certainly a level of embarrassment when you’re in line to board a plane and they want your boarding pass and it has been swallowed up by a purse. I have emptied it right on the floor while people around me stared in disbelief and frustration as they waited for me to scoop it all back in. One of my dear friends has suggested many times that I should buy a purse with different sections that hold certain items. I did try that, but after a short time, it too, became a caldron of chaos. I may need to take a workshop on how to organize a purse.
As the years pass I have more and more nostalgia for my Grandmother Francesca’s purse. It was a very nondescript purse that I’m sure cost very little. She was probably born with it and she was never without it. It’s contents were a variety of ingredients which she used for various situations. A prayer book and rosary beads were a staple. Candies which might lie on the bottom for years surfaced for her to give when you pleased her, along with dimes for really good behavior. There was always a lace handkerchief sprinkled with a slight violet fragrance, and multiple picture cards of saints. Also she made sure she had a bottle of Mercurochrome and cotton balls in case of emergencies. The memories of that purse will always be with me because it was much more than a purse. It was a purse filled with love..