Gladly choosing to finally be like others

I finally did it — I bought a purse. 

 

I have never been a purse girlie. Purses were always too big, too bulky,--a burden, if you will. I have been gifted many beautiful and cute purses throughout the years, but I never felt comfortable using them. If I had anything to bring, I would leave it in the car, convince my mother or sister to carry it, or make sure to wear pants with pockets. 

 

For college (or before, I can’t remember) I bought one of those Lululemon fanny packs that became extremely popular. That was perfect; it was everything I needed. It fit everything I needed and yet was small enough not to be noticeable to me when I wore it. I could use my arms freely, walk, run, move, and never have to worry about it. I didn’t ever have to clutch it to me. 

 

For a long time, I was satisfied with just that. It went everywhere with me, from trips to different states, college, studying abroad, and now Colorado. 

 

But as I go out and look around, I see girls my age have forgone the fanny pack, and have instead turned to cute, small, shoulder purses. For a while, I didn’t care. But then as it became noticeable that I was the only fanny pack girl, that the pack doesn’t fit cute outfits like the shoulder purses do–that I was different–I felt a desire to get a purse. Granted, it’s only a small, black shoulder purse, but it’s not my Lululemon fanny pack, and that is all that matters. 

 

I also find myself wanting to conform to the Kindle fad. I had a Kindle when I was young, but since I have always preferred having a physical book in my hands, the electronic device collected dust on my shelf before my sister took it. And it didn’t even cross my mind until I joined a book club. 

 

My first night at book club, the group worked on a craft–making a charm to attach to Kindle covers. I, not owning a kindle, made a charm for fun that currently sits on my desk by my monitor. When we took pictures with our charms, everyone whipped out their Kindle and held it into a circle, while I hesitantly just held mine in the circle with my hand. 

 

But I didn’t buy a Kindle because of social pressure. I bought one (seconds before writing this column) because I’m tired of reading books on my phone. For book club, it doesn’t make sense to buy every book every time, so I have been using the Libby app, which is connected to my library card and allows me to check out library books electronically and read them on my electronics. 

 

While the convenience of having my book on my phone was nice (leading me to read in the car, at the bar, walking to my car), I hate staring at the screen. I stare at a bright screen all day every day for work, and the thought of staring at a screen even longer for my hobby leaves my eyes tired. That’s why I never wanted a Kindle to begin with. 

 

But you see, now they make fancy new Kindles called paperwhites, where instead of having the shine and glare of a screen, the light is dulled and has a warmer, less harsh, color. 

 

So I caved. I plan to be in this book club for a long while, and the library books can connect right to my Kindle. Now it’s just time for me to find a cute little case to put on it and I’ve completed the picture of a cute, put-together young woman with my purse and my Kindle. 

 

So while I find myself “conforming” to what is popular in society despite what I’ve always thought, I am having fun. It all comes back to adding a touch of whimsy to life, right? 

 

My Determination: “Stuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451