ode to a bag

Tags

bag, Bree, Dublin, learning, leather good, photos, potography, satchel, studying, work

When I was a teenager my godmother granted my a wish – a beautiful leather satchel from Bree for my birthday. It was a pale leather bag, more pink than brown and at the time I was a little disappointed that it didn’t look like those beat up bags I so coveted.

But more than 25years later and that bag is still by my side and now it displays more than a few wounds. A little while ago I needed to replace the strap – after years of lugging around a lot of stuff it just snapped, and the inside has a patch just over where the handle is supported – again weight caused some havoc.

For years it has held my schoolwork, then my college stuff, both as a student and later a lecturer, it has sat below my desk and come with me on appointments for work and interviews, it has moved cities and countries, been on many a trip and lately my trusty satchel has turned into my mobile office: my laptop fits in perfectly, nestling down behind all of my paperwork, and so do my flask and headphones, right next to my purse, calendar, pencil cases and books. The small pockets in the front are not only the perfect size for my phone, my key slots in nicely too. So, as I cycle from A to B to C, from work to teaching to studying my satchel sits patiently in my large saddle bag awaiting it’s next destination.

Over the years the pale leather has turned golden brown, and displays several scars of being tossed around or bumped. It is one of my oldest possessions and definitely my most used and I can’t image having to be without it.