I rummage around the bottom of my purse and come up empty-handed. With growing alarm, I move my rummaging to the other compartment. No, there is no pen. How then can I scratch items off my grocery list?
It isn’t the first time I’ve ended up pen-less at the store, and I fear it won’t be the last. Even if I remember to check my purse before I launch, its narrow compartments make a visual inspection next to useless. I would have to pre-rummage to establish the presence of a pen, and dump everything out to confirm the absence of same.
This day, however, my annoyance (with my wandering pens, my forgetful self, and my unhelpful purse) lasts until I get home. “Wouldn’t it be great,” I think, “if the purse had an obvious place to stow a pen?” I stare balefully at its insides.
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