In praise of pockets...

I am not a purse person. I would far rather carry everything I need in my pockets, and did, for many years. I had a lovely little silver card case, just the right size for my jeans pocket, and it could hold (just barely) a drivers license, a credit card, and a twenty-dollar bill, which pretty much covered things as far as I was concerned. I have never been one of those people who carried tissues or makeup or any of the myriad items usually found in ladies' bags. I've always traveled light.

Looking through my current bag (and I spend a lot of time doing that nowadays, as I can never locate anything), I find a cell phone, a camera, a tin of hard candy, a checkbook, a wallet, three sets of keys (because I need them all at various times during the week and can't take the chance of not having them with me when I require them), two sealed teabags (because, god knows, someone has decreed that the only teas available in restaurants are Earl Grey and other perfumed varieties. I hate Earl Grey. And perfume.) Also in the mix is the latest book of Audrey photos, an assortment of notebooks and favorite pens because one never knows when inspiration will strike, and finally, two or three of those nylon bags for groceries that everyone wants us to use, but which I consistently leave in the car. I do sometimes carry lipstick and a comb..and now, bandaids-- as the least scratch (because of my Coumadin) bleeds so copiously that I have to have them handy. Occasionally, I'll have a flashlight, because our alley is pretty dark and hard to negotiate at night. And maybe an umbrella, if the weather warrants it. Beyond this, there is the normal detritus that accumulates, unbidden, throughout a day's errands: cash register receipts, appointment reminders, prescriptions, mail, to-do lists, ticket stubs, brochures, handouts from meetings, dribs and drabs of paper that I've scribbled reminders on.

Has my life become that much more complicated? Or do I simply have fewer pockets to accommodate all this STUFF? I think that both my purse and I should go on a diet. Bare necessities only. We'll both turn out somewhat lighter for the experience.