Let’s talk about that Public Purse Dump. You know, the one where I would shuffle through my bag’s contents, give up on finding whatever-I-sought and wind up emptying it out while the clerk and the other people in line behind me watch.

Did you know that the Public Purse Dump can go buh-bye if you practice the purse station that Marie Kondo describes in her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”? Yes indeed.

Besides, of all Marie Kondo’s advice, the only one that will show physical evidence of konmari tranquility  outside the home is your purse.

What is a purse (or bag) station? It is a place — a tray, a box, a drawer — somewhere in your home where you empty the contents of your bag every day. Yep, out comes the wallet, the keys, the sunglasses, the everything. The whole habit takes less than a minute to do. And the results are so rewarding … read on.

Let’s look at before and after scenarios to witness this calm.

Before my konmari bag station:

I would regularly have to do The Public Purse Dump in search of something — a pen, a checkbook, a tissue, a badge, a set of keys, a receipt, a whatever. While I accepted this as normal for me, I have since realized how this embarrassed me on a barely detectable level. But for some reason I thought The Dump was unavoidable. My solution back then was to endure for months, then radically change my next purse’s size.

Also before my konmari purse station, I only cleaned my purse out when it reached Critical Mass. In a big-purse phase, I might find two or three almost-full water bottles in there. So heavy! My “solution” was to keep hauling this brick-of-a-handbag and wonder why my shoulders hurt.

Pre-konmari, I would stick important info in my purse, a swirling vortex of lofty intentions. My reality at the time was that the paper and whatever task was connected to it was probably gone for good. I would find whatever needed my attention weeks after it was due. I accepted that as the sloppy way I had to do my life because I was sooooo busy. Cleaning out a purse was a menial task. Who had time for those when there was so much busy-ness in life to do? My solution was to apologize for something being missed or left undone.

Now with my konmari bag station:

After completing my konmari and using a purse station, I leave the house with only what I need.

Every purse I carry is light, even my big heavy leather ones. I can reach into my purse and pull out exactly what I need without looking. For instance, my youngest had her wisdom teeth pulled and, in the middle of complicated post-op medical instructions from the nurse, I was able to reach in my bag, pull out a notebook and a working pen and start writing. I missed none of the instructions. And I knew that those notes shoved in my purse would be found and addressed the next time I arrived home.

I tend to be more thoughtful about what goes into my purse based on the outing. If I am going out during the day, I take my sunglasses. If I am going to a nighttime movie or someplace loud, I take my earplugs and aspirin, leaving the sunglasses at home. I always take my wallet and keys. When I have sniffles, I take a couple hankerchiefs.

Without extra effort, I tend to know exactly what is in my purse. So when someone asks for a pen, I know before I unzip it whether I have a pen to loan.

So join me! No more public purse dumping for you, thank you very much!

No more heavy purses.

No more need for apologizing.

No more!