Look around and you’ll find them everywhere.

Women who ride the metro, walk down the sidewalk, climb into cabs, share the elevators, while carrying two, three, sometimes four bags.

I’ll admit, I’m guilty. I’m a bag lady.

Every morning I sling an oversized black bag over my right shoulder as a small purse swings from my left arm.

But even I stop and gape in awe when I notice a relatively normal-looking female wrapped in an oversized black bag, a gym duffle, a laptop case, and a small purse while gripping a Starbucks paper bag filled with what I presume to be lunch.

Why are we compelled to live like nomads?

I need most of the things stored away in the trendy purse – house keys, metro pass, pen, lipgloss, mobile phone, wallet, digital camera.

But why do I insist on carrying a large black bag around with me daily? Will I ever really need any of the things I stuff in there?

Let’s see (dumps contents of bag on floor):

Dell laptop, Nike sneakers, Filofax, one paperback novel by James Rollins, one collection of short stories by Carol Shields, kleenex, two silver barrettes, Kate Spade shades, five different shades of Lancome juicy tubes, TDK Mojo mp3 player, three AAA batteries, four bandaids, last week’s issue of The Economist, an issue of The New Yorker, suede case filled with three Cross and Caran d’Ache fountain pens, one red leather blank journal, businesscards, two Advantage chocolate peanut butter lo-carb bars, a black spiral notebook, a bottle of Advil, a pedometer, two pads of post-it notes (one hot pink, one yellow) and $2.89 in loose change.

Hmmmmmmmm……..

What’s in your bag?