My Boss Carries a Purse
My new boss came to work last week. My old boss left for Tokyo the week before, so it has been relatively quiet. It is still fairly quiet as my new boss tries to figure out the ropes. But while he tries to figure out the ropes, I'm trying to figure HIM out.
My boss carries a purse. I mean in no way, shape or form for this post to make fun of my boss. I just HONESTLY want to know why a man would carry a purse. It's small, black and on a shoulder strap. He straps across his chest when he wears it. He carries another bag, a briefcase type, with him, so I really want to know, WHAT's in the PURSE, or as my husband says, the MURSE ( Man + purse = MURSE), It's like the Seinfeld "Bro" just less controversial. ;)
As a female, I carry a purse for several reasons: 1) Female clothing often does not have pockets. I keep meaning to complain to someone about that, just haven't figured out who, yet. 2) I tend to like to be prepared, so I have not just my wallet, but paper, a pen, a comb, a fan for if its hot, make up, etc. The usual girl stuff. But I don't usually carry another bag with me, so what's in his bag?
He's a chronic chain smoker, maybe it is a special bag for cigarettes? Maybe he's OCD and has a nail cleaning kit in there? Maybe his lips are sensitive and he needs to carry his SPF chapstick in there? I don't know. Guys, help me out here, why on earth would a man carry a purse, and if so, what's in it??
posted by Cat @ 7/12/2006 01:49:00 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
I am ALL in favor of men carrying purses. Then, maybe, men would stop sticking stuff in our purses! Chris is always putting stuff in mine--his keys, his wallet, his cell phone, his ipod, his gatorade, the popcorn he wants to sneak into the movies, the neck pillow he wants to take on the airplane. DRIVES ME NUTS! In fact, will you ask your boss where he got his? I'm going out to buy Chris a murse!
Cat,
Is your boss Japanese? I know purses (or man-bags...whatever) are popular outside of our homophobic, "dude-I'm-so-tough-I'll-never-hug-my-friends-because-that's-like-gay" country.
I can think of several reasons to carry a purse:
1) You may feel slighted that your cute jeans have small pockets, but deep pockets are overrated. I hate when my keys dig into my leg, or when quarters and dimes bounce around and everybody can hear you walking.
I also hate putting my wallet in my back pocket - then when I sit down, I tilt to one side.
2) As much as we guys like to make fun of girls for having a mini-drug store in their purse, I have on numerous occasion used my wife's chapstick or needed a bandaid.
3) I think wearing sunglasses on your forehead looks lame. Clipping them to your shirt collar is no better. A purse is the perfect place to store them.
My wife recently bought a new purse...and it was twice the size of her old purse. It has 2 compartments: one for her and one for me.
So now when we get out of the car, I can unload everything into "the purse."
To be fair, Katrina makes me carry it sometimes when we're walking (which I don't mind if we're holding hands, because I appear chivalrous). However, I still think I'm a long way from going solo.
Janelle and Doug-
You two both crack me up! This is a new phenomenon to me, because if I can, I will not take a purse and put my stuff in Sheldon's pockets!
Yes, my boss is Japanese, but even then, after 16 months there, I don't ever remember seeing a man carry a purse there.
I have to admit I do think it's a little odd, maybe a little 'feminine' dare I say, for a man to hold a purse. I applaud you Doug, for carrying your wife's purse. I always thought that was like the ultimate NO NO. You want to drive your husband crazy, you ask him to carry your purse. I stand corrected. And I've never experienced the "tilt" of a wallet, but the imagery TOTALLY made my laugh. Thank you for making my day.
Dearest Sheldon,
I am amused at your response. I wouldn't have thought of that actually, had you not brought it up. But I'm still confused about the OTHER bag. I can understand carrying everything in one bag like a backpack, or a briefcase, but to have both a backpack/briefcase and a murse, that is a little strange, I think.
Janelle is right. I shamelessly use her humong-o purse to store all the crap I refuse to carry in my pockets.
Here's my answer: the satchel and/or messenger bag. I don't carry it as much as used to, but back in NY I always carried around a one strap bag that was much more manly than a purse, yet had the exact same functionality. HA!! The one difference is that I would only carry it when I was going to work or on an errand. I don't know how I feel about satchel-ing it out to dinner or at the movies....
Rusty beat me by mere minutes to the satchel comment. So much for originality.
I don't know how I feel about satchel-ing it out to dinner or at the movies....
Heaven forbid you smuggle your own contraband into theaters, Chris.
Of course, I do have a good feeling that Janelle eats her fair share of the loot.
They're not purses... they're European carry-alls.
I need to talk my wife into buying a bigger purse, I always have to carry my own stuff. She does have a birthday coming up, but she really likes her little purse, and that might be a little transparent after this post. Speaking of that, What the heck should I get my wife for her birthday?
Man, That DLK character knows a lot about superman, I only got through the first paragraph before I was totally lost. Gotta respect the passion though.
I have been carrying around a bag of some sort or another for the last few years. Got a lot of gear...my Treo 650, iPod, pocket voice recorder, digital camera, pocket monocular, lens cloth (for my glasses), GPS (for geocaching), pad of paper, pens, Altoids or the like, earbuds, emergency meds, Kestrel 4000 weather sensor and my Nokia 770 internet tablet. Most of the time when I go out, I just carry the Treo in a belt pouch, but more and more I have run into situations that call for the other stuff. I currently use a Citywalker bag (from www.thecontainerstore.com, I wrote a review of it for www.the-gadgeteer.com), but it doesn't have enough to room to fit all of that and my mini-laptop as well. I have ordered the Ellington Europa Field Bag for that purpose. I am not gay, I am not metrosexual, my choice to use a bag to lug my stuff and where I choose to stuff my dingaling are mutually exclusive. I am sick of people equating a guy carrying a bag with someone who has some sexual orientation or other. It's typical of the "us and them" mentality that pervades our society. This whole "metrosexual" thing is also tiresome. Get over it, America!!!!
Posted by Mark
Hello, Cat, sorry to interject like this on what might be a private blog (I found it in a search about man bags), but I'm fascinated about how you have "recent comments" in the right navigation. How did you do that? I have a blogger blog and would love to put that feature on mine.
thanks,
Laura
laura@lbmatthews.com
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