I'll admit it - I have purse issues. My current purse looks, sounds, and feels like a diaper bag. Could be because it's 100% vinyl. I got it at Target - I needed a tote bag for towels and flipflops last week when we went floating down the river. So I found this bag and lo and behold it was on sale - 1/2 off in fact. And it had a bonus larger tote bag that came with it. So I bought it. And loaded it up with what I consider the essentials from my other purse - phone, keys, wallet, etc. And then I added the towels and the flipflops. It was pretty full. Then we floated. And the bag alternated between sitting on top of the ice chest and floating in the river. It pretty much filled up with water, soaking the towels and the other contents, including my phone. Oh, but I thought ahead and put my phone in a plastic bag for protection from the elements. Um, yeah. The bag leaked. My phone worked just long enough for me to write down all my contacts then it died. When we got home, I never took the time to transfer all my things back to my real purse. So, for exactly 1 week, I've been carrying the "diaper bag." And of course, I've still got the big plastic bag in there, full of all my valuables.
I really just despise purses. I've tried every kind. Clutches, shoulder bags, hand bags, little backpacks, string wallets, straw tote bags -- really, everything. They all have let me down. There's just not the right features in any one bag. Which is why for a while a few years back I was carrying two purses - one on each shoulder or one in my hand and one on my shoulder. That worked pretty well, until my good friend Sharon had a purse intervention. She stated firmly, but lovingly, that under no circumstances should I ever leave the house with 2 purses unless 1 of them was CLEARLY an attache case. I got the message.
So now, I buy a purse based on price and convenience (if it's located near the checkstand, sort of near all the flashlights, nail clippers, beef jerky then it's a strong consideration). Or, I rely on various totes and messenger bags that I get as gifts at conferences. I don't mind advertising for Saddleback or WorshipTogether as long as my bag is functioning well. Of course, when I visit my sisters, they quietly whisper among themselves then manage to somehow whisk me away to TJ Maxx or Ross and insist on buying me a purse -- they are all talented at spying the perfect bag. I saw a great purse today at the shop (Pacific Eyes & Tees) where I was buying Steven some shirts - he mumbled something about me walking down the street with the purse and those in the know who are cool enough to own the purse would see me with the purse and would never carry that purse again - evidently I have the power to single-handedly change the course of purse fashion. I'm OK with that. But I didn't buy the bag.
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