Steven wrote:I carry a purse almost all the time now for that exact reason, a typical day before I used a purse and was skating was,
Get dressed for skating, put keys, photographs, camera, phone, pens, notes, buisness cards, money, and wallet into change of clothing duffle bag, put tissues and water into skating bag.
Arrive at rink, put money, keys, and cell phone in skate bag, put skates on, put wallet, cell phone, and keys in skating notebook and take into rink with water and tissues.
Get done with skating, takes keys, wallet and cell phone out of skating notebook and put into skate bag, put water and tissues back into skate bag.
Go to work, put wallet, cell phone, money and keys into change of clothing duffle bag, change clothes, put keys, money, notes and pens in pockets. Put wallet and phone in desk.
Leave for work, put cellphone and wallet in pockets (I can't tell you how many times I've gone home wihout them) Arrive home and empty pockets and bags out to start all over again the next day.
------
All this very time consuming and annoying especially when I forget something like my wallet inthe bag, or leave it a home, or the cell phone, notes, and even the pen. Sure if I forget my purse I'll have just about everything missing, but the constant shuffling of things between all my pockets, bags, and notebooks was becoming a bit much so I said, "What the heck?" It just made sense to use something suited to the task of holding all the stuff I had.
My mom would rather see me carying a briefcase, but a purse is much more flexible and throwaroundable and it offers much more convience in my opinion (and easier to carry and work with)
I also find it a plus as I can carry my pictures and those key ring savings cards that I was always forgetting when I went shopping.
I couldn't agree more about the bag. I have been using a largish shoulder bag for the past year and regularly lose a bottle of water and my daily paper as well as my coin purse and all the other stuff I carry. I need to get a smaller bag to ration how much I carry !
In Europe, men's purses are common place, usually with grab handles rather than shoulder straps. The principle is there - why are the US/UK behind the rest of the Western world?