A little lipstick

It has always been a given that women carry their lives in their handbags and cannot go anywhere without them. No matter what the size of the bag, everything except the kitchen sink can be found inside, with bigger bags just holding a little more of what you may never need. Yesterday I had to take my laptop with me for a training session squeezed in between two medical appointments, so my hands were full when I left the house. An hour later, I arrived at the first appointment: parked the car, reached out for my handbag - nothing! I looked on the floor at the back and under my feet, even inside my laptop bag although it could never have fitted. The unthinkable had happened! I had left home without my handbag.
I have been known to go on a birding safari for 8 days and leave the following behind: binoculars, bird book, hat, face cream and comb. How unprepared was that? But to leave my entire bag at home, with purse, bank cards and cash (not to mention all those coffee shop loyalty cards), appeared at first to be a disaster. How would I pay the doctors (pay before you leave, these days) - would I have to scrub the surgery, or sterilise the instrument bowl, or make tea for everyone? No cash for coffee anywhere, either! And would the car guards believe me?
But wait, I had my cellphone in my pocket. I had mobile data. Access to my banking apps. I could pay by EFT before their very eyes. All would be well. And it was.
There was one fly in the ointment when I tried the cardless service so proudly offered at the ATM. Completely useless if you haven't been fully instructed in how to use it, and don't have your OTP sent to your cellphone, but rather the tablet you left at home. So still no cash, but so far managing fine without my handbag.
I duly attended my physiotherapy appointment, which was prescribed as a hopeful solution to the deafness I have experienced for the last 9 months, and is possibly caused by my long-term clenching of the jaw in stressful situations. When I look at my life, I can understand it completely. It was fascinating to learn about the physiology of the neck and ears and I bravely endured the massaging of my jaw muscles inside, followed by dry needling (!) to release the tension, and can say it did feel better immediately. I will have to have a few more sessions with homework, but one cannot expect miracles.
I successfully completed my round of appointments without a handbag, and it is true that it isn't an absolute necessity. But it would have been nice to have a little lipstick.