 A blog on Joey Bonifacio's site called "Compartments in My Life" got me to thinking recently -- if men have compartments, I think women must have tote bags. Men have the tendency to slot different issues or different areas of their lives into separate compartments, and the contents of one section do not overflow into the neighboring sections.
Women, on the other hand, have no compartments. We have tote bags.
For you men out there who are not familiar with tote bags, a tote bag is a large "carry-all" bag similar to but just a tad smaller than a sports duffel bag. The whole point of a tote bag is you throw everything in it that you could ever possibly need and bring it with you wherever you go.
I have always wondered how men survive without carrying bags around (what do you do if your lips are chapped? what if you need a mint? where do you put your checkbook?) Women are always prepared. I am always amazed at women who can open their bag and produce snacks, books, an entire makeup kit, hairspray, and even flip-flops! (you know who you are...!)
Even more interesting, though, is that the compartment-tote bag dichotomy extends into our brains as well. When we are working on a difficult issue at work, I am always envious that, at the end of the day, my male colleagues seem to be able to put that problem in a compartment called "office issues" and then switch gears to "home and family" and happily end their day. While I, on the other hand, throw that office issue into my tote bag and bring it with me to dinner with my friends, to the gym, to the spa, and to my home. It is always there -- if not in the forefront then at least churning in the back of my mind.
My only conclusion is that God created women to have tote bag minds because of the juggling act they have to accomplish as wives and mothers. Consider the woman who, in the course of a single day, has to wake the kids, cook breakfast, clean the house, do the laundry, iron her husband's shirts, drive the kids to school, buy groceries, pick up the kids, drive them to soccer practice, help them with their homework ... in other words, while she's doing one thing she is already thinking about three other things she has to do next. If women had compartments -- they might spend the whole day in "menu planning" mode and forget where they left the kids!
 | so true! i think this is one of the many things about women that will forever inspire, encourage and amaze me! |
 | this is not making me laugh. it's making me rethink my current purse. seriously. i love this blog. it explains why i can't sit at dinner without talking about the joke that bill told in the meeting in the morning, and the thing that my roommate is thinking about doing is still affecting the book i'm reading. so funny. |
 | Hahaha! :-) How funny but SO true! You said it so well, Lynn! :-) Simply amazing! We have to make sure all men read this blog!! :-) By the way, am I the one with the flip-flops in her tote?! I'm giving myself away... Wahahaha!!:-) |
 | I'm always uncomfortable when I go out carrying a small bag. Even during youth camp I was known as the bag lady since I always carry my bag around and all my groupmates would put in their things in my bag. I've tried hard to make do with small bags but it would seem they'd burst with all the stuff I tend to squeezed in,hehe. It's good to know I'm not the only one who has this kind of tendency. |
 | here's to women and great big bags that carry everything! nice blog, lynn. Have you seen the purse organizer they advertise on Home Shopping network? It looks so cool! When it's out of your bag, it's one long row of pockets (big ones and small ones). When you put it inside your bag, it curves so you still have a lot of space in the middle for books or flipflops. Plus, it has a built-in flashlight so you can easily find what you're looking for. It's brilliant! :D I'll bet a woman invented that... |
 | poink wrote on Feb 11, '07  what do you do if your lips are chapped? what if you need a mint? where do you put your checkbook?  they ask US! hahahaha |
| poink wrote on Feb 11, '07, edited on Feb 11, '07 in other words, while she's doing one thing she is already thinking about three other things she has to do next. If women had compartments -- they might spend the whole day in "menu planning" mode and forget where they left the kids! i love love love your entry lynn! so much i had to comment twice, hahaha. and THIS is an excellent way to end it... i never really thought of it that way, but YES we do have tote-bag minds. (i'd say mine was blue and pink, with yellow flowers...  ) my boss Rizzo loves big bags, she likes to tote them around even for short lunch breaks...and she once made a remark that you can be sure that women who carry big tote bags are most definitely interesting or creative (or both!)  |
| poink wrote on Feb 11, '07 simple, just ask a woman for what you need. hahaha... just saw this comment, but yeah, sabi na nga ba eh... |
 | i think my tote bag is my car. hehehe, it's well-stocked! sometimes, it's fun to try and compartmentalize, but most of the time, lynn's right, it's very hard for a woman to do . . . |
 | ....And I thought I am the only one with a bag full of what-nots! Yes,we all do have tote bags full of whatever that we may be need at any time. This is so true... Thanks Lynn. I love this blog . :-) |
 | Hello! Surfed in through Diane's link. Delightful read, and it made me appreciate my wife even more. Thanks for the wake-up call. ;D |
 | emphas1s wrote on Feb 12, '07, edited on Feb 12, '07 Good post Lynn, but I'm afraid I'm not a "compartmentalised" man... It's a beautiful chaos!
The measure of a true man is how big his man-purse is... That's how I be rolling!! I mean, how else will I be able to carry my "nunchaku's" and my "bowstaff" if I don't roll with one... GAWSH...
Bring back the flourescent belt bag with the velcro sealed compartments!!
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 | does this mean i'm a guy?? I have tote bags and all but i generally prefer "travellin' light..." |
 | i love this Lynn! you're a born writer, no one communicates like you - my dear friend =) Rachel |
 | I have a Treo. What else do I need? Phone, Email, Movies, Music, Games... I think guys just have different priorities. To me, cleaning up means picking up all my stuff... to my wife it means actually "cleaning" with like, chemicals and stuff :) Great post Lynn. |
 | Here I must agree. Ever since my wife gave me a tote bag for christmas I have seen its merits. I guess when i got older I needed something for my reading glasses, cell phone, chapstick, usb, camera (specially in these days of blogging), pills, handkerchief, calling cards, keys, mints and lose change - it is also convenient when you need to bring a charger(s).
I must admit that I still (ocassionally) cringe at the thought that I am now carrying a bag. But the thought that Hawkeye and Uncas had totes in the Last of the Mohicans helps in assuaging the negative vibes of carrying a bag. I don't know if I am reminded of "Dirty Old Men" who carried clutch bags or just the idea that I am like girls now. The key is to picture Haweye and his tote and imagine it loaded with gunpowder, lead balls and beef jerky. Knives and muskets must stay on belts. |
| poink wrote on Feb 19, '07 The key is to picture Haweye and his tote and imagine it loaded with gunpowder, lead balls and beef jerky. Knives and muskets must stay on belts heehee...! :P |
 | I was sitting here about to comment on your blog when i remembered the pasta that therese made the last time i saw you, which reminded me that i need to go to my spinning class tomorrow which has absolutely no connection to the fact that I'm computing insurance policies now at 10 pm. But the doorbell just rang, so I have to check if there are enough doughnuts for david's small group which is just about to start. Hahaha! Long live the tote bag mind!
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| poink wrote on Feb 19, '07 I was sitting here about to comment on your blog when i remembered the pasta that therese made the last time i saw you, which reminded me that i need to go to my spinning class tomorrow which has absolutely no connection to the fact that I'm computing insurance policies now at 10 pm. But the doorbell just rang, so I have to check if there are enough doughnuts for david's small group which is just about to start. Hahaha! Long live the tote bag mind!
!! hear hear!! Long live the tote bag mind! (especially of moms...!) |
 | nice blog....Thats super duper true..... |
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