I really love my.....

This is the title of a page on people.com that I find hilarious! It is an image slide show of celebs wearing the same outfit or shoes or carrying the same handbag twice or...wait for it.... EVEN three times! My goodness!

I would literally lose my mind if I had to carry a new handbag every day. I usually get a new purse once a year. It is a PROCESS of transferring all of the contents from the old, sad, sometimes sticky bag to the brand new one! There are consistently a few problems.
1. The new purse has a totally different storage configuration. It is usually a different size, there a new pockets or less pockets, no zipper or many zippers, deeper sections or wider sections. It takes a site plan to decide where all of your "stuff" will live in this new handbag.
2. I have to re-train myself on carrying this accessory . My newest bag has two short handles. Do I wear it on my shoulder, carry it like a bowling bag, or hang it in the crook of my elbow like all the movie stars do?
3. Inevitably I loose something. When the transfer occurs, a card or key or a kid's pacifier gets forgotten, usually never to be located. Plus, I don't discover this until paying for something or the kid is total and complete melt-down!
4. There is always a longing for the old bag! No matter how much I LOVE my new purse, I long for the old one with its familiar places where my keys hide.

If I had to switch every day, so I wouldn't be caught by the paparazzi, I would be a serious whack-a-doodle! Good thing there are no TMZ or People photogs lurking in the bushes waiting for me to drop my kid at school. The headline would have to read, "Mom carries same knock-off hand bag for 100th day in row!" (Not to mention the article containing criticism of me not showering, wearing workout clothes, and pushing a squeaky baby jogger not worth more than $25)

amazement in the ordinary

Observing my two year old watch, with admiration, the trash collector and his truck reminds me to be aware of my own biases and judgments of others. If you were introduced to man or woman for the first time and you learn that this person is a garbage collector what would your reaction be? I doubt you would be envious that they are able to drive an enormous truck all day. Would you assume the person uneducated or unmotivated? Do you inconspicuously (or so you think) inspect every inch for tattoos and dirt? Do you begrudge him or her for the money they make? You went to college and barely bring home the same amount. Would you take the time to learn more about this person? Or do you think that your judgments might interfere in your openness to allow someone to be more than what they do for a living. Kids have an uncanny knack for being amazed by the ordinary. It is refreshing, and also quite humbling.