Wardrobe Inequality

My mother sometimes expresses regret for my childhood - I never wanted to wear the frilly dresses and ruffles and all the other hallmarks of little girls. As soon as I could express myself well enough, I wore practical clothes like jeans and t-shirts.

One of the things I loved most about jeans was pockets. So many clothing items, and not just for little girls, lack that one detail. Sure, women wear purses. That has become an expectation for many reasons, and not simply a fashion choice. Women are often caretakers of others and need to carry more items than will fit in their pockets.

A purse should never be an excuse to get by without pockets in clothing. They only seem to be used for the same things because both carry essentials like a wallet, keys, cell phone. Did you ever see the college girls at the bar? They never carry purses or coats (despite the weather) because there is too great a possibility for them to be lost. They have a bit of money and ID and not much else.

Purses often become larger and larger as women age. They lug so much junk they can't live without until they try to weigh it on a scale and realize they're carrying a medium-sized dog instead of a wardrobe accessory. The straps cut into their shoulders from the weight and removing the purse creates a lopsided stride.

Sometimes I miss my backpack from college. I have a couple accessory backpacks that can take the place of a purse, but few of them have enough pockets to stay organized. It's hell searching for a pen at the bottom of a backpack that's masquerading as a purse. At least in my current purse (6x8", fully zipped shut weighs about 2 pounds) has a lot of dividers and a specific pocket for my phone.

I often refuse to buy outfits without pockets. Only one pair of slacks remains without, and they're my favorite despite that lack due to fabric and fit. Yoga (and other workout) outfits are notorious, and I only manage because my mat has a bag with a pocket. Otherwise I'm at a loss for where to put my keys. I replaced my old workout lock with a combination lock because I never knew where to put the key when I was swimming.

No matter how small the purse, however, you can always find a pen and notebook of some kind within where I'm scribbling notes about something or other. Of course, if I could find a way to put that in my pockets I might be tempted to try to go without the purse. But a woman's wallet seems unwieldy without a purse.

Just one more way the sexes will never be equal.

End of a Hiatus

It's easy to get pulled in too many directions. Today I found myself saying yes when I should have been asking more questions. I find myself reminded of all those magazine articles with a topic about how to say no. Say no politely, say no assertively, say no even when you think you can do it all.

I can't do it all. Most days I don't want to.

I started to make a list of the things I accomplish on a daily basis. I get tired of it near the afternoon and skip it, but if I don't keep up the list I can't remember what I've finished.

Lists don't just include those little things (like taking vitamins) that slip through the cracks without a reminder. Today I looked up all the work in progress ideas I have in various stages. I have six published short stories that I call done. I have one novel completed that needs a rewrite and I haven't decided to push myself through mentally. I have another novel with a reworkable premise. There are also fifty short stories that I haven't finished or haven't edited or haven't yet published.

Fifty?

I can't believe I've allowed so much time to pass me by without doing something with those ideas. This week I had two more (ideas, not half-written slush pile stuff). Last night I outlined them to give myself direction to tackle them.

I'm at a loss over the fifty mark. Most of them are short- too short for me to think that I ought to put them for sale on their own. However, several of them are candidates to be lumped together into short story bundles.

If you need me, I'm looking into some market research. See you next week.