Now that I'm working, I don't have non-stop access to my refrigerator with the unlimited supply of Diet Coke to run to during the day, so I usually grab a couple of cans each morning and throw them into my large red purse; my large red purse with the majestic blue peacock on it, the one I bought from Antrhopologie a year ago. My favorite purse.
Last week, when I pulled into the parking lot at work, I grabbed my red purse from the passenger seat (after taking the seat belt off...the purse wasn't cheap, it did come from Antrhopologie after all, so I try to keep it safe), and headed into the building. I raced up the two-flights of stairs to my office, sat down, turned on the computer, and took out my Diet Coke. The nectar of the gods. My life juice. That is when I noticed my purse was wet and I thought for two seconds that one of my cats had micturated (that is just a big word for "pissing") on it--they are not happy that I'm contracting and not at home tending to their every need, 24/7--but quickly discarded that idea because I couldn't smell anything. It was my Diet Coke! One of the cans had a hole in it and its entire contents had oozed into my purse...remember, my favorite, not-so-cheap-Anthropologie purse.
I was pissed! I was enraged. Not my favorite purse. And the worst part, my favorite drink is to blame. How terrible is this? At that very moment, I was so incensed that I vowed I would never drink Diet Coke again. I was serious. I felt my blood leak to my feet and my head felt fuzzy and faint. How could something I love so much destroy another thing so precious to me? Of course, Zeus was going to be happy. I would finally give up Diet Coke forever and ever and drink only organic tea.
Ah, but not so fast Zeus. I made it through the day, angry and bitter, yet as the day wore on, I became less irate with Diet Coke. It was only an accident after all. It could have happened with any drink. I got home, took everything out of my purse (that was an hour task, I swear), turned the lining inside out and washed the remnants of the spilled Diet Coke away and I felt much better.
Sure, I was mad as all get-out, but I made peace with Diet Coke that evening, seeing that my purse, my favorite purse, was not irrevocably harmed, and once again, we are best friends, Diet Coke and me.
--Fortuitous Observer
