No Bags Are Cut From the Same Cloth

Outside of summer reading in high school and occasionally in college, what use is carrying around a book, right? Although it wasn't on my top 10 list, the Little Bag Lady totally recommends carrying around a book; but only if your bag is big enough. (So get a bigger bag if you can't fit a book in it already-duh!) Seriously though a book is a great addition to your handbag's residents! For those days where you're stuck at the doctor's office, the car wash, or the two hour Friday night wait at the Cheesecake Factory, a good book can make the time speed instead of creep. I figured this out when I read an amazing book recently that had nothing to do with my normal topics of choice- fashion. Instead, this book was about friendship...and sex ;)

...Ok really it was about sexuality and not sex. But it's called My Best Friend, Maybe and it's by Caela Carter. It's about two girls coming up on their last year in high school that used to be the best of friends. One day, all of a sudden they just stopped talking. Three years later, out of nowhere, the two girls go on a trip to Greece together after barely spoken for years and both having different versions of what happened to trigger the rift. Both these girls are very different; one, Collete, comes from a very religious, wholesome "normal" family, while the other, Sadie, stems from a single mom with no rules and two adopted Haitian boys. Now, I won't give away the whole plot, but I will say how this totally changed my life.

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Let's put it in the terms of the only thing I know how: bags. Every bag is different-duh. Most women have a particular style of bag they like in general though. But every once in a while there is a bag that catches the eye of the other kind of diva in you. The one that is so far out of your comfort zone, you tend to forget it exists. But then here comes this bag. It's affordable, it's durable...the only thing may be that it's a bit impractical and totally clashes with your taste. You try to imagine it in your closet and it just doesn't...mesh, but it still captures your attention and your appreciation. You talk yourself out of it and try to find peace with your decision that you're better off without it telling yourself "What will people think?" and "There's no way I could pull that off." But really there is nothing wrong with that bag, there is something wrong with you. The bag isn't impractical, you are. So the bag doesn't fit the mold of your closet! Big deal! It only matters that it is a good bag and you love it, don't deny it or yourself that acceptance of something different.

In relations to what the book was really about: people are different. You'll always have your group of friends and peers that have everything in common with you, were raised like you, and maybe even think like you (in a non-robot/clone way). However, there's always that one friend or potential friend that is different and doesn't really fit. She's different than you in every way. She doesn't dress the same. She doesn't like the same music. She may even be the very person your parents warned you about back in high school to stay away from but there is something about her that you can't steer clear of. Or that you don't want to. We are often attracted to the sames of ourselves because society tells us that's what works and makes it easy. Whether it's dating from inside the church only, hanging out with your teammates all the time, or sticking with the same group of people you went to college with because all your moms did too, the obvious way is being among our own "kind". But we are also often attracted to the opposites of ourselves, too. Those people provide balance, new perspectives, and are just refreshing! It is when we open our minds and our hearts and close the mouths of those telling us "They aren't like you" and "You're not cut from the same cloth" that we can experience true happiness. Isn't what we all want is acceptance in some degree? Well that starts by accepting those that are different and trying to understand why people are the way they are and finding peace with the fact that if we can't understand them, that's ok! Especially when it comes to friends- it doesn't matter if she doesn't fit into your mold, your world,was raised the same, etc. It only matters that she is a good person and you love her; don't deny her or yourself that acceptance of someone different.

Divas and Divos, I present to you the open mind, the deeper meaning of life, and acceptance of all people (and bags) brought to you by the power of a book!

Go read something ;)

xoxo,

LBL