I have kept this mini-ruler in my purse since a couple days after I moved out of the house in 2000. While I was able to keep a few furniture and household items after ending my first marriage, I had a lot more necessities to obtain for the new place that I was moving into. 

This ruler signified my independence.

I had never lived independently, financially or emotionally, in my life.  After getting married, I seldom made decisions on what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, or when I wanted to do it. Everything was done based on the needs of my first husband and my kids. When I divorced, all of a sudden I had become the center of my own life.  I carried the ruler in my purse, so I could measure the things that I needed to buy and made sure that they would fit in my new place. I felt a bit of pride every time I took out the ruler in the stores.

The ruler was confiscated at the security gates when I attended an Obama Rally in 2008. Fortunately, a replacement found its way into my purse shortly after the event.

This ruler proves that I am Evelyn. Just Evelyn.