The purse.
Women love to buy them, talk about them, and brag about their attributes. We compliment each other on them, ask if we can borrow them and find ways to safely stow them when we’re out on the town.
Purses carry memory. A friend gifted me one that her late mother had given her: small, red, beaded satin with a gold tone clasp and matching handle. The purse had meaning for my friend because it was special to her mother. My friend gifted it to me because I am a woman in love with purses.
My purses are mobile scrapbooks filled with wrappers and receipts, business cards, and torn scraps scribbled with reminders.
I’ve a habit of not emptying my purses after I use them. Sure, I’ll remove the wallet, cell phone, lipstick and ID. If, though, I’ve accumulated paper, it all seems to find a home inside a purse that returns to the back of a closet.
Sometimes for years.
Two years and two moves ago, I used my many duffel bags as mobile storage. How surprised was I to open them and have them reveal ephemera from nearly eight years and one state prior: plane ticket receipts. Playbills. Concert ticket stubs. Restaurant take-out menus. Each bag and its contents told a story. This fascinated me.
Looking back over segments of my life through this accumulation of purse ephemera, I mused how the years had taken twists and turns, and provided new perspectives on longstanding memories. That’s when I thought, this would be a great writing prompt: go through my old purses, excavate what’s in them and then write about what I discover. A visually rich form of journaling connected to a women’s fashion accessory with a rich history.
Voila! A new book!
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At the end of each day, when you empty your purse, knapsack, book bag, computer satchel or beach tote, collect your findings and let them take you on a fun-filled journey to the page.
Let Purse Prompts help you Get Carried Away with Writing.