Apocalyptic Purse

I think women are better prepared for an apocalyptic situation than men, simply for the fact that they carry the purses.  Most women will not leave the house without their purse, and in the case of evacuating a building, a purse is always tucked firmly under their arms.   When I think about what is in my purse, compared to what I pack in an emergency kit, they are not that far off. 

Recently I was cleaning out my purse and taking inventory of what I could get rid of and what I should keep.  I have realized that I use my purse for more than just a way to carry my valet and keys.  I use it as a book bag, lunch box and first aid kit.  All very useful things if there was in emergency.

My Purse

•  Identification Cards (For me & both cats)
•  Keys
• Bottle Opener
• Silk Scarf
•  Petroleum Jelly
• Compact Mirror
• Make-Up (Powder, Gloss, Brush & Mascara)
• Anti-Bacterial Gel
•  Reading Material (Current Purse book is The Antipope by Robert Rankin)
• Colored Pens
• Mechanical Pencil
• Paper/ Note pad
• Thumb Drive
• Tea (Loose Leaf not bagged)
• Sun Glasses
• Eye drops
• Aspirin
•  Money
•  Hair Ties
• Snack Crackers
• Mobile Device
• Address book
•  Broach/ Pin
• Perfume/ Body Spray
•  Lighter/Matches
•  Eye glass Cleaner and buffer cloth
• Tissues
• Band aids

Emergency Kit

•   Tourniquet
•   Pain reliever
•   Matches/Lighter
• Band aids
• Mirror
• Flashlight
• Alcohol
• Pin
•   Petroleum Jelly
• Ties
• Book
• Writing Utensil
•  Paper/ Notebook
• Eye drops
•  Tissues
• Emergency Contacts
• Money

By doing a simple at a glance comparison, I can see that almost everything that is in an emergency kit is currently in my purse, with a couple of additives.  Which to mean means, that once I have fled the area, treated my wounds if I have received any, I will still be able to get my much needed hit of caffeine and have a snack, distract my mind from whatever horrors I have witnessed, while trying to get some sleep at the house of one of my vast list of address contacts, I have taken refuge with. 

For those that are wondering why I have Petroleum Jelly in my purse, Vaseline, which can be used for chapped lips, is nothing more that petroleum jelly in a tube.  It is completely normal for a person to have this item. Sure, there are more things that can go in an emergency kit, just as there are more things that can fit in my purse.  Sometimes, less is more. The more you have the less you think about what you can do with what you already have.