A bag for every occasion

To the editor:
    “How many bags do you have here?! How many can you use?! Nobody needs …” My car died suddenly when the wheel separated from the frame, and a friend and I are at the garage moving the stuff in my trunk to her car. She is gathering up reusable shopping bags, as she says, “You don’t know how many? I’m going to count … 21, no, there’s one, 22. You’re a hoarder! I just read an article about hoarders.
    “I need them all,” I reply. “ I use the four Wilson Farms bags at Tops, the red Tops bags in December for Christmas color and again for Valentine’s Day …” She’s muttering, “I can’t believe it, 22 bags. Just donate some!” I continue, “The eight dark denim ones I made back in the ‘80s and a woman who saw them paid me to make a set of six. They’re lightweight and slow-loading at checkout, but they’re good for, well, back-up.”
    We go inside, turn in the key and title to the car, and she drives me home. “You can sort things first and discard a lot,” she advises, “then put the rest into your garage. I have time, I’ll help you.” “No, you’ve helped enough,” I assure her, “everything can go on that plastic sheet laid on the driveway for now. Thanks for everything.”
    Later, sorting the bags, I plan to tell her that the three canvas ones are for the Farmers’ Market. They fit in an old cart with big wheels, held with clothespins around the rim: The small one is lettered with Earth Day, Let us make every day Earth Day; the large one, Natural Resources Council of Maine; bought in Houlton, and the regular-sized one, Earthjustice because the Earth needs a good lawyer. The green Hannaford’s, from Bangor, has the most practical design.
    Never used — yet — are a Pierre Cardin navy bag, plastic-lined, that might keep food cold; and a small flat bag that came with tourist material.
    Finally, the two piles of bags go into two Le Bags (plastic-lined canvas, too big and heavy for groceries), the most-used into the tan one and the lesser-used into the black. Neat, all ready for the trunk of my next car.
    The small flat bag will be donated. My helpful friend should be pleased to hear that I got rid of what is not needed.
Byrna Porter Weir
Rochester, N.Y.