You know how sometimes you spend all your life thinking that you know something and then realise that you actually have no idea? Like how I genuinely spent the first 11-odd years of my life telling people that I was a boy? At this point, that is exactly half of my entire life. Or how I spent my first 15 years conditioning my hair and then shampooing it because I was a silly kid who didn’t want her mum to teach her how to wash her hair. So I did it MY way. Which as it turns out, was the WRONG way.
Mum has degrees in Home Economics and Child Development, which essentially means that everything is cured by either talking about it or drinking water (this is NOT a burn at my mother I genuinely think she’s the best woman alive). Thanks to this, I just assumed certain things and championed these assumptions into my adulthood.
One of them was that I cannot not carry EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED on my person. I used to look at men wearing cargo pants (ew, please stop) and think, “Where do they keep their stuff? Aren’t their shorts… heavy?”
It may have been because my back is mostly broken due to heavy bags — but I finally learned to let go of my massive satchels and totes, stick to a few things in a compact, functional purse. I’ve come to realise that it’s actually a relief not to have so much shit hanging off your shoulder, after years of my mum harping on about it. Why don’t I ever learn/listen?
Since this is the year of Letting Go; and honestly, truly coming into the person I was always meant to be — (Yes, I realise I sound like a Disney Princess) I have a challenge for you: Abandon that huge-ass bag for a week and maybe you’ll actually begin to feel a little bit lighter! It’s amazing how breezy and wishy washy you feel when you absolutely CANNOT fit nine pens, three notebooks, two perfume bottles and a few laptop chargers in your hand bag.
I’m going to buy one of those cute tiny cat purses that’ll turn me into a weirdo who carries a ‘Free Hugs’ sign. IT’S A WONDERFUL WORLD! I can only hope that I don’t absolutely need that bedazzled bookmark from 2011 that I always seemed to carry around everywhere with me though. For the rest of your stuff, trust that there is always a departmental store around.
Now, go! Live lighter with your pared-down bag. Find your happiness, I believe in you.
Saumya Chawla
Twitter@meoowbox
The writer loves to over-share, drink wine & watch period dramas