Handbag

I used to use handbags when I was a corporate ant. It was a place to hide a bag of jellies, to keep lipstick and mirror I would never use during the day anyway, to have a purse, phone, some tissues,  moisturizer, and tons of store receipts I would clearly need at random occasions.
With motherhood on, I no longer needed all these. I had a pram, a changing bag, a 'food-and-drink-and-mum-let's-take-something-sweet' bag - no place for a handbag, no hand for a place to keep my mirror and receipts.
Few months back, when we were going out, I was on a verge of taking my handbag out of the deep dark corner of my closet. One look from my husband, and I resigned. After months and months of not using something, it would most probably get lost on DLR quicker than expected anyway, forgotten, sad and lonely...

Why do women need them? Is this some kind of a gender manifesto? I'm a woman, this is my handbag? I use pockets in my jacket to keep my hands warm, not to tuck thousands of thousands of little items men usually take with them, all 100% useful and indispensable? Is it just a needless reminiscence from the days you would never ever leave your home with no hat on, handbag being your first second best friend?

I guess there's a huge misconception around body care, image care, and importance of public view. Some think these are children of the recent years. In fact, we are witnessing the most careless approach to our appearance since the Stone Age.

Handbag to me is a symbol of an organised - yes, I mean organised;) - way of living, with necessary items in place when needed, put nicely in a packaging matching my outfit, taking away the stress of not having something important with, making me feel secured, self-confident, ready to conquer the world with a smile, and - yes;) - lipstick on:))