LIFE OF A READER
TOTE BAG LADY
Tote Bag Lady by Judy Newman
I have never been a light packer. I like to be prepared for every eventuality. I am always the person carrying the oversized bag filled with extra Band-Aids or socks or dog treats or sore throat lozenges or a flashlight or … all kinds of other seemingly random items. And of course, books. When I’m with other people, all these provisions come in handy. I do think I have a knack for anticipating what others will need in assorted, unpredictable situations. I used to think I always carried a Mary Poppins-type carpetbag filled with everything I thought anyone might need because of how much I loved Mary herself, and because I got so stressed out watching the end of Let’s Make a Deal when Monty Hall would ask audience members for random items in exchange for large cash prizes, that I never wanted to be that person who came up short. But, I found two photos of me when I was younger than the age of 3 already schlepping large bags. That was long before 42
Story Monsters Ink | December 2018 | StoryMonsters.com
Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke stole my heart or before Let’s Make a Deal was on the air. So I guess I was born a bag carrier. In my high school years, I would go out with my friends for an evening-with-a-curfew (i.e., no chance of the outing extending past a hard stop or needing overnight stuff) and still I would bring a change of clothes, assorted paraphernalia … and always a book. When my kids were born, I filled their diaper bags with the myriad items new moms think their babies will need—even for a quick trip to the supermarket. And I always loaded up with board books, picture books, and activity books. Motherhood took my overpacking to a whole new level. On our family vacations—no matter how long a distance we traveled or how close we were to civilization (and accessible shopping!)—I never wanted to be caught short. My packing lists were so long that my suitcases always had to be checked, and even then, they were often overweight, requiring me to
