I stumbled across an article in Time magazine, yes TIME MAGAZINE, entitled “Your Purse is Too Heavy. Here’s Why You Should Care.” Of course, I was very interested in the topic, as I have suffered shoulder and neck pain from carrying purses most of my life. And since inventing the Pocketwear Tank, every time I am out and about I notice all the women carrying purses to the store or while out walking, and I shake my head. I can’t blame them. For the longest time I felt like I had no other option; it’s what we women do when we leave the house. We grab our purse. Our purse carries all of our essentials like wallet, keys, phone, among numerous other things. It’s usually the “numerous other things” that weigh down the purse. Yet, cleaning out the purse is like cleaning out a closet. It sounds like a good idea, and it would be nice to fit it in, but it usually is not something that makes it to the top of the list of our busy life. Inertia is a tough adversary.
So, it was no surprise to learn from the article that many women suffer from back, neck and shoulder pain, as well as joint strain. This can lead to herniated discs and curved spines. So what did the article pronounce as the remedy? Carry two bags. What?!?! I couldn’t believe it. All I could think was whoever wrote that article must have never habitually carried two bags. To add insult to injury, the article showed a photo of a woman carrying two bags, one in each hand. I’m not sure how that is supposed to be a good or even realistic solution. Are women not supposed to use their hands for anything other than holding a bag?
Here’s a few real life scenarios where that idiotic suggestion would cause more problems than it solves. What if your phone is ringing, and it’s in one of the bags. Assuming you notice your phone ringing at all, now you have to find somewhere to put you other bag so you can search the bag containing your phone, hoping to find your phone in time before it stops ringing. Meanwhile, your second bag is now exposed. Maybe it’s on the sidewalk, or on the floor of a train. Regardless, it is there for the taking and of course being exposed to God knows what in germs and dirt. I want to know how this is safe and practical for ANY woman.
A second scenario. You are walking with two bags, one in each hand to balance you out, and your arms become tired. Why are they tired? Because they are both weighed down! Or, you are walking with your children and you need to cross the street. You would like to hold their hands, but you can’t because each hand is occupied with a bag!
I don’t know why anyone would think carrying two bags is a good solution to the very real problem of back, neck and shoulder pain. But, the blame in part is because there is this pervasive assumption that women want and need bags. I beg to differ. We can reject the idea of carrying bags. There are other options, like Pursesuitz Pocketwear. www.pursesuitz.com Taking only what we need and storing it securely in concealed pockets keeps our hands, shoulders and worries free. Wearing the Pocketwear Tank is now my preferred garment for moving about, whether it’s exercise, shopping or walking the dog. All my essentials are with me at all times. And best of all, my hands and shoulders are free from the burdens of a bag.