It's in the bag It wasn't until I had a perfect bag that I realized its value. I always had an ordinary bag - a big old tote, a stylish unstructured hobo, a beaded hippie, a black beaded evening bag.
And then there was the bag I could take everywhere. It was black, Italian-made. It had simple, solid stitching, a softish squarish shape, hardly any visible hardware, and hung just-so from my shoulder. It was the right height to drop things into and unzip. It could hold a paperback and my wallet and makeup without straining to close. It looked good with jeans and a turtleneck for work, or a skirt for dinner out.
It couldn't last. What I didn't mention was that it was borrowed, and it had to be returned. Well, I was at a loss. Who knew that a bag could change your life?
The friend who loaned it to me said it was one of a kind, so I never found another quite like it. Believe me, I looked. The others were too big, or too angular, or too round, or too fancy, or too simple. I was distraught.
And then I received a bag I would never have bought. It was the kind of bag I would have called horrible or sleazy or too outlandish. It fell just above my waist, with a nice little strap. All fine. But there was also the satiney print, with a black and white photograph of a handsome man strolling down a city street. And the biggest statement of all - the bottom of the bag was made of a shoe! A stiletto heel, nonetheless.
Well, I almost didn't want it. How could I possibly wear it? But I secretly wanted to. And I did.
The transformation was miraculous. People were astonished that I would wear it, and some laughed. It got sneers from people who thought, like I once did, that it was ugly. But it also got me attention. It gathered its own set of compliments. It started conversation and invited looks. I could go anywhere with that bag.
Well, there are a few places where you need an ordinary bag that isn't going to get you that kind of attention, and then there are the places that you can only get into with something so fabulous. It got me thinking, there's a lot to a bag.
Now I put a little more care into choosing a bag. I won't dismiss that funny shaped one out of hand. I won't snatch up the supple practical one without thinking. I'll pick and choose, but I'll also take what I've got and wear it with pride. Who knows, it may change my life.