November 1, 2019
Dear Everyone:
If women designed automobiles, every car would have a place to put your
purse.
Of course, that would never happen.
In fact, at least one manufacturer used to advertise that one of its
models actually did boast a hook of some sort that a woman could use to
hang her purse on/off. I
have no idea which make or model that was.
And it was based on the supposition that all purses conformed to
their idea of the proper size and shape.
Basically, all purses, or handbags if you prefer, come in two sizes:
Too big and too small.
The problem, needless to say, is that we have too much stuff to lug
around. (By the way, it has
been suggested that it was none other than William Shakespeare who
combined the word “lug-” with “-age” to create the word, “luggage”.)
And a purse is the most practical way to lug it.
So, to avoid needing a purse, what would one leave behind?
I always carry a small flashlight in case of emergencies.
These days, you could argue that this isn’t necessary as most, if
not all, cell phones now include a flashlight app.
All very well, as long as you know how to find and use the app.
I found the one on my phone purely by accident and doubt if I
could rediscover it, in the dark, in a matter of seconds.
So the tiny flashlight stays.
Seriously, it weighs less than an ounce.
Also, you can’t use a cell phone to substitute for dental floss.
Ever have something caught between your teeth that’s just driving
you crazy? Dental floss
stays. Ditto the tape
measure. Can’t use a cell
phone for that.
Of course, if you’re trying to measure something less than a foot long,
or so, you can use a US Dollar Bill, of any denomination.
These are all 6-1/32 inches long.
Or half-a-foot if you don’t need to be precise.
Technically, you can use your cell phone in place of an eReader.
In fact, my latest Kindle Paperwhite even offers to synchronize
with my cell phone so that, if I should decide to leave the Kindle at
home, I could continue using the phone to read my current book.
The problem with that is, with the font size that I use, only a few
words would appear in the tiny screen on the phone.
It would be something like…
“I love you,” he said (swipe) to the hedgehog.
“Especially (swipe) simmering in an onion (swipe) gravy.”
No, the Kindle stays.
And let’s face it, no one wants to use their cell phone in place of a
Kleenex. Or a comb.
Or make up. Or an
eyeglass case. Or hand
sanitizer.
And there’s always the Criminal Elements.
This is a small vinyl case containing a nail file, safety pins, tweezers
and one of those really nice (Thank you, “Alice”!) all-in-one tools that
includes sharp knives of varying sizes, a corkscrew, screwdrivers,
scissors, awls, pliers, and (I swear to God) a saw blade.
All in a neat package that I can move to the checked-through bag
before flying anywhere. Or
place in the glove compartment of my car shortly before entering any
court of law.
Throw in the average wallet, credit card case, and a handful of keys to
this, that and the other, and you have about six pounds of essentials.
All of which needs to be within easy reach of the (female) driver
at all times.
Now you see why no automobile manufacturer ever wants to tackle the
issue of where to store all that tackle while driving.
Mostly, we just put it in the passenger’s seat, unless there’s a
passenger, of course. Beyond
that, it’s Dealer’s Choice.
Love, as always,
Pete
| Previous | Next |