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 Purse
Angst
By Gail-Elaine
Tinker, M.S.
Purse - a small bag, handbag, coin purse, or wallet.
Angst - an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety or inner
turmoil.
April is the time of year in fashion culture when women of
all ages, sizes, and backgrounds venture upon a special shopping
mission. We are making a change from the dark winter handbag,
designed to hold extra gloves and cough drops, to the lighter
spring purse. You will find us strolling thoughtfully through
the accessory aisle sighing and cooing over charming details,
stitched leather straps, pockets, metallics, interesting patterns,
and dazzling price points. At each meeting with other women
we exchange furtive glances at their handbags to gauge who
has made their seasonal selections. It is playoff season in
women's shopping and by Memorial Day, the agile will have
demonstrated their 'game,' and moved onto sandals.
Of course, there are several rankings in this lucrative sport.
There are women who are collectors of fine leather handbags.
They devote closet self space as shrines to 'bagged and tagged'
specimens. These women plunk down serious green for their
designer bags as investment pieces; they switch purses to
match moods, occasions, and outfits. I call them world class
purveyors of purses and for them, this article is mildly puzzling.
Their purse angst is a different topic, solved completely
by money.
This article is for handbag welter-weights; the busy, practical
gals. We are aficionados of leather accessories, but more
working class. We admire the pricey goods, but know we need
to keep in the middle ground, as our handbag will be doing
major duty in life. We tend to get a fairly nice handbag and
use it daily until it dies a death of dried scratches, scuffs,
holes, stains, and droopy loops...usually in a single season.
For us, our purse is our daily companion in life which serves
as Sherpa for our extensive gear from job, to doctor, to dance
recitals, to auto mechanic. With regard to handbags, we angst
about cell phone pockets, not ruffles, and load bearing straps,
not designer labels.
So, spring means choosing a new purse companion, hence the
angst. Make a crucial mistake and you could be digging for
your phone at the bottom of a funky but frustrating hobo bag
all summer, missing every call...choose wisely and your date
book will also fit effortlessly into your new bag, the boss
will notice your efficiency, and maybe you'll get that promotion.
Choose poorly and the chain on that flirty Chanel-type will
pull ever sweater you own...choose wisely and the wide strap
and perfect balance will eliminate that weird mid back ache
that had annoyed you all winter.
The American Chiropractic Association has come out against
the average handbag which weighs 7 to 10 pounds and when worn
over one shoulder can be very damaging to body alignment causing
back and neck pain. It encourages women to trim the weight
of their purse and carry the weight across the weight of their
bodies, switching shoulders to relieve pressure points.
I have assisted in many a serious case of Purse Angst. This
is a "girlfriend duty" of the first order. There
has been the Travel Purse Angst - my friend was about to travel
internationally and needed a new bag to hold the special gear
of travel plus the following requirements: lightweight, wide,
long strap, two front zippers, dark colors only. That was
a six store trip! Of course this same friend was with me when
I was suffering 'bad break-up, need new identity' Purse Angst.
I dragged her to lunch and several places with no luck. The
answer was not a purse but a haircut. My other dear friend
wanted shopping backup for purse organization. We explored
every sort of doo-dad made to lighten and organize one's handbag.
We both purchased a new wallets hoping for a lighter loads.
I found my new spring companion. It was a solo trip out of
dire necessity. A tube of lip gloss had 'exploded' in my winter
purse, creating a sticky mess...and a desperate need for newness
and cleanliness. I feel neat, organized, perhaps lighter...even
though I can now place my datebook neatly in its own pocket.
Ahhhh, no more angst...until sandals.
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| Gail-Elaine Tinker, M.S.
is a psychotherapist in private practice on the Lehigh Valley
PA. She was born in Philadelphia in May 1960, eldest of three
children. She was greatly interested in writing, language, theater
and music throughout her youth which opened opportunity such
as performance, travel, and academics. Gail-Elaine had planned
a career in teaching English but upon seeing the state of secondary
education in the 80s, she re-tooled her skills to become an
addictions counselor.
She was married and has a gifted son with
AS. She had a career in Art and entrepreneurial publishing
while raising him. Upon her divorce she furthered her credentials
with a Masters in Clinical Psychology and Master Levels in
Reiki training. Her goal is to change the stigma of mental
illness and facilitate positive solutions for her clients.
Gail-Elaine continues her work in trauma,
chronic pain, grief, and addictions in her general practice
of psychotherapy with art and somatic psychology. She serves
as Therapist, Consultant, Life Coach, Reiki Teacher, Advocate,
Community Speaker, Blogger [www.tinkerpsychotherapy.com],
and also as Features Contributor for PCM.
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