Bag People

When MB was a little girl we used to call her a little bag lady. She would find a bag lying around the house – any size or material – and fill it with whatever else she found lying around. Then she would carry it around the house, with too big dress-up shoes on, as if she was going somewhere. We have picture after picture of her with these bag collections. And if we ever had to find our car keys, we only had to search one of her bags!

Quick tangent:
MB was named after my paternal great-aunt. I was the first girl on my father’s side of the family after this great aunt -50 years later. MB was the first girl on my father’s side after I was born - not as many years! So it was only fitting to name her after this great aunt.

Aunt Mildred was never married and never had any children. But she would always shower us with gifts when we saw her. (Should I tell you the story of when she brought my younger brother, he had to be under 13, a jock strap?!) She was a very giving woman! The incredible thing is she was a bag lady! She was always carrying several bags at a time around with her. And she would always pull exciting things out of those bags!

Is it a coincidence that MB was named after her and she, too, was a bag “little girl”?

Tangent over:
Anyhow, I am a pack rat for bags (amongst other things!). I collect them because; well…do I need a reason? I like bags (maybe MB doesn’t get it after her name sake, after all?!) You can always use a bag for something!

And why use a plastic grocery bag if you have a nice black or pretty colored bag?

That brings me to the reason for this writing.

I am amazed at how many different ways people use bags in this country. EXCEPT, they only seem to use plastic grocery bags or ones from the local store. They carry them around as if they were fancy Gucci bags. Very elaborately dressed up women, carry plastic store bags with handles that are tearing. Old bent over rabbis with long white beards walk down the street with bags full of I-have-no-idea-what. Kids in a hurry somewhere with bags from the local clothing store. It’s as if the bags are a status symbol.

And now, my bag “little girl” insists, even though I have closets full of nice bags, to do-as-the-Israelis-do, and pack her sleepover clothes into a plastic bag! When she has to take materials to camp, she takes a plastic bag. There are 10 bags full of miscellaneous things lying around the house.

I admit, I have three bags right now in active use:
- My black Winnie-the-Pooh bag is to carry my Siddur (prayer book) and Chumash (bible) to synagogue every week.
- My black leather briefcase I bought when I started working in the States, with my present work files in it.
- Another black canvas briefcase with my ulpan notebook and workbook (which I could probably put away for now since ulpan is over for the summer.)

And just in case, I keep my very old, worn-out and most favorite fuchsia college backpack with the words “Art Heals” drawn on it, ready for the taking whenever I need it.

For some reason I can’t get MB to use one of the other 20 bags collected in the closet…

Does it mean that she has become a true Israeli?!