Where I write

Where I write

December 7, 2011

The Quest for the Perfect Purse

The other evening at work my fashion consultant, and server assistant, Juan, laughed at my purse. "What's with that big pink flower?" he asked. I told him I liked my new purse. I like especially the long straps. He looked unconvinced. I said to him that just the other day a woman stopped me and told me she liked my purse. Juan sighed. Then, another coworker, Kelsie said, "I'd like that purse if it wasn't for the pink flower." Oh whatever. Purse selection is very personal. Besides, I rarely keep purses longer than a month or two. I spend little on my purses, so they are easy to discard. I'm fickle when it comes to purses. I get bored easily with them. Or they annoy me. Or I use and abuse them and they fall apart.

For most my entire life I have been looking for the perfect purse. A purse where I can find anything I am looking for, car keys, mascara, Rolaids, cell phone, in seconds without having to dump the contents on my car seat. It doesn't need to be a designer bag, either. It can be used. I just want a purse that doesn't hurt my shoulder, one I can store everything I need to carry with me each day. Oh and that is fabulous to look at, of course. And will be the envy of everyone. Well, not so much that. But it's fun when someone gasps and says, "oh I just love your purse."

My quest for the perfect purse began the year I saw a gold sparkly purse in a shop window at a mall when I was in high school. It spoke to me. It said buy me and you will be popular and pretty. It was  December, and I just had to have it for my birthday. It had fat gold rings for its straps and it glittered as if made of real gold. Well, I got the purse, thanks to my sweet mom who overlooked the fact that the purse was better suited for a grown woman planning to go out disco dancing. Alas, I soon learned that the gold purse really wasn't perfect. I stayed my same self, the purse was too small to be practical and too fancy to take to biology class and leave in my gym locker. I saved it, though, for years, because it was more like a little work of art.

There are some purses I just can't bring myself to throw away. Like this one. I never use this purse because it is too small to hold my phone, my makeup, my pens and gum and all the other stuff I think I can't live without. This purse has a beaded Eiffel tower and I just like the idea of walking around with Paris on my shoulder. Juan would disapprove of  my Paris purse, too, I bet. 
I kept this purse because it represents my practical side. I don't use it, mind you, but I like to think I might one day want something more reserved without rhinestones and glitter and color. I got it at a great price at Ross and it's made by some woman..Diane Von Firstenburg. Actually, it's made in China like most everything so who cares if some fancy lady has her name on it. A poor migrant China worker sat hunched in a factory all day making this thing. I did use this bag once to travel with, and I might again, so I keep it waiting in my closet just in case I want a purse without flash and sequins. Maybe I'll just bring it to work to surprise everyone and make them think I'm no longer drawn to the gaudy.
Here is the purse that is waiting in the wings. I got this purse from my writer friend, Karen. I coveted it each time I saw her bring it to our writer's group meetings. It wasn't until, Denise, gave Karen really cool black purse to that I got this red purse. This is what we do at our writer's meetings when we aren't writing. We admire purses and then sometimes exchange them. Denise said her black purse (it was really cute) was bugging her as it didn't hold everything she needed it to hold. Well, once Karen got the purse she loved it and thought it was perfect. (for awhile at least she does)
 As soon as I have tired of my current pink flower purse, (it won't take long) I will use this red purse given to me by Karen. Only women who like purses will understand this blog. Men won't get it, perhaps Juan will, and there are those few women who actually, gasp, don't carry a purse. Who are these women!? I would feel  naked without my purse.
Here I am with  my friend Denise  who gave Karen her purse and which made it possible for me to have that lovely red bag. I noticed Denise has in her lap a purse and I'm wondering what happened to that purse.... And the beat goes on as we all keep trying to look for that perfect purse. If anyone sees a sparkly gold, box-shaped purse, with gold handles please let me know. Perhaps that really was the perfect purse. Until then, my quest will continue.

4 comments:

Rita A. said...

"But you just got a new one," is one of the most common things out of my husband's mouth. He really doesn't mind (I think) He just doesn't get it. His tool pouches last forever and he never changes them out. He does prefer leather.

I heard Karen bargining for Gina's wallet yesterday at the writer's group. Fun, fun, fun.

Karen C. said...

HA HA! giving away my secrets. I Love purses! xoxo

Expostulator said...

You need either a Tardis bag or a Harry Potter Bag of Infinite Holding with a built in anti-gravity support. An invisibility shield would make it look like you were so cool that you never need to carry one, just you and your radiant smiling face.

SunsetCindi said...

It's funny that the designer purses have no pizzazz or sparkle to them. They look boring as they are one monochromatic rhythm that makes you look like every other woman who feels the need for one. I much prefer some art or object that appeals to your heart since you tote that thing everywhere you go. I still think of 'purse' as a change bag, or something small coming from 'pocketbook' land back east and tend to go with bag, maybe because I tend to carry a bag filled with my writing, etc. stuff. Your bags and purses sparkle just like you and we wouldn't have it any other way!