I need some feedback, guys. Bethany (my roommate) and I had a really hilarious idea for an article yesterday. While reminiscing about our grandmothers and how they taught us to put on lipstick when we were little (solely a girl thing, I know), we started talking about women's purses and the mystique associated with them. I know Jeremiah used to get his wrist slapped for reaching into his mom's purse as a kid - it was sacred space. What about the rest of you men? Are women's purses sacrosanct? Did your mom/grandmother/sister/wife/daughter ever make a big deal about you rummaging through her purse? I need to see if this is a widespread phenomenon, and well, you guys are pretty diverse. ;) Ladies, feel free to leave feedback as well. Do you get on to your husband/son/boyfriend/guy friends for violating your purse space? I'm trying to get some thoughts so this whole thing can gel. I may even quote you if you are particularly witty or clever. :) So please, comment away! Please please!
By the way, ANOTHER ARTICLE of mine ran in a Relevant e-newsletter yesterday. I'll either post it on the blog or...figure out something clever. Cheers!
11 Comments:
Yah, Mom definitely had the Pavlov's dog classical conditioning thing working on me in regards to her purse. I get scolded three or four times for reaching in her purse. Now I'm terrified of them. Even yours, Katie.
Uh, I have NEVER met a woman who welcomed me to rummage through her purse. And now, as an aging adult, I am like Jeremiah - I hold purses like they contain the plague.
If a woman ever asked me to get something from her purse, I'd cower like a dog expecting to be beaten.
BTW, it seems that this sentiment is not reciprocal - I've never met a woman who had a problem with rummaging through my wallet and asking for details on ever item found therein.
i remember how my mothers purse smelled. i would get gum out of it during church. she did not have a problem with me digging around in it. But now that i am a gentle man i have a hard time getting any thing out of Alana's purse. It's like i get closterfobic and can’t see any thing.
Scott--I've definitely given that reaction to Katie when she's asked me to get something out of her purse.
Growing up, if Mama wanted something from her purse... even if it was something to give to us... we brought the purse to her to get it out. I thought of it as showing respect to her. We were taught to be respectful of others and of their posessions. Just like we never opened someone else's mail.
Katie, we have some conspiring to do. Email me. lespiecesdemoi (at) gmail (dot) com
"Sam, never go into a woman's purse!"...but he goes into mine!
...he's so cute so its okay..
like judy said, i was taught to bring mom's purse TO HER to let HER get whatever it was that i needed. i felt like it was a respect thing, too. i didn't feel deprived of the rummaging.
here are the rules for my purse:
1)if you, as a grown-up guy, decide to rummage through my purse, any unexpected discovery and resulting shock serves you right for rummaging.
2)if you don't know what it is, don't ask me.
my experience has been that guys think purses DO contain the plague and automatically refuse to look inside.
similarly, i am sure that wallets do contain the plague, along with a variety of other infectious diseases.
Katie,
I'm not sure that my reluctance to rummage through a woman's purse stemmed from respect for privacy, but rather a fear of what I might find. (shudders) Two notes:
1. It's no fun to find something you cannot identify, only to hear snickering from a group of girls when you hold it up to get a better look.
2. It's no fun to find something you can identify, but would rather not know/think about.
I don't even go through Jodi's purse unless she asks me to find her something.
By the way, congratulations on all the articles!
I like to grab at girls' purses, loudly say "HEY, let's have a look-see in here" and watch them lunge at me.
One does what one can.
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