I finally broke down and bought a new wallet today. I’ve been looking for a new one for about two years now and never bought one because none were exactly what I wanted — or so I said. The truth is that I have a habit of developing strange attachments to objects, such as my utiliwallet, and then feeling like I am betraying an old friend if I replace them, even if they’re in shreads.
Exhibit B: my old wallet. I bought is the spring of my senior year of high school (read exactly four years ago) because it was a big wallet that could also hold my passport for my summer trip to Europe. Despite fraying and losing a strap, the wallet has served me faithfully and held all my stuff since forever.
Exhibit A: my new wallet. The photo is bad but it’s really, really cute. It’s German-esque, or possibly Dutch-esque, and has a cute gnome, two squirrels, some mushrooms and tulips, and pretty hearts and leather and all that jazz. It’s really cute, however it holds considerably less than my old wallet.
I should have taken a picture of all that was in my old wallet, but I didn’t think of it until I’d already transfered everything over. It included a two-inch thick pile of cards, three currencies, subway/rail passes for Croatia, Hungary, New York, London, Boston, plane tickets for London and Prague, movie stubs, fortune cookie fortunes, and so on (it also used to hold my check book, but since I’m between banks, I’m waiting for the new one . . .)
Now the wallet swap has happened, but I keep looking at the two of them sitting beside each other and feeling like I have stabbed an old friend in the back and went for some newer, cuter, hot young thing.
Poor old wallet. I’ll probably keep it in my apartment at least until I move. I know within a week or two I’ll get used to the new one and be glad I got the new one, but right now I feel sad about the change. I mean, it’s for the best I can no longer carry my passport, stamps, or checks with me in the event my wallet gets stolen, but still . . . what’ll I do with my passport when I travel now?
Strange how someone who likes to travel so much, and hates long-term committment, and doesn’t even like to make plans more than a day in advance in case she changes her mind, is somehow still so against change about weird things like new wallets, new furniture, etc.
(Also, still brainstorming names for the gnome, but so far I’ve got Otto and Kurz)





