Wednesday 3 February 2016

Do you worry?

There is an interesting article in today's Yorkshire Post about what women carry about in their handbags.   I have just tipped mine out on to the table and I list the contents herewith:-
purse; cheque book; mobile phone; comb; diary; pen;spare hearing aid; tissues; bill to pay when I next go into town.   The writer of the article, Stephanie Smith, says that some folk say you can tell the state of a woman's mind by what she has in her handbag.

Some chap in America suggests that although you can tell the state of a woman's mind by what is in her handbag, perhaps a better strategy would be for her to make a diagram about her worries. So he did just that.  It makes interesting reading:
children - lunch, toys, room mess.  Worries about work.   House - state of cleanliness.  Personal - weight and looks.

No mention of health, which I found interesting.   Other than that I think we could all agree with most of it (with perhaps a question mark over weight and looks, which only applies to some of us).

Some of us worry more than others.   I used to be a terrible worrier but over the years I have learned to control it a little, but there are still worries.   Some of them - in fact most of them - fade a little after a couple of days.   But I think the health of all my loved ones - husband, son, grand children perhaps comes top of my list.  My oldest grandson is about to become a father for the first time (3 days overdue) and I shall be pleased when that is over and all is well. My own health - not so much.   Although having just booked a holiday which entails going through Amsterdam airport I am at present worrying about my mobility and the long walk to passport control.  Am I too proud to ask for a wheel chair?   Basically yes, but I think reason may have to take over and I might have to be sensible and give in.

As Stephanie Smith concludes, how lucky we are compared with others in the world, that we can waste time on such worries.  As John Lennon famously said, "Life  is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans."    And of course, knowing the outcome of his own life, nobody ever made a truer statement.

24 comments:

Tom Stephenson said...

I would be worried about taking a flight through Schipol Airport. This is the only place where I have missed a connecting flight. The terminal where we landed was literally i.5 miles from where we were due to take off again, and we ran all the way. Book an electric buggy, Weave!

Sol said...

I worry about everything. at present I worry about everyones health state of mind and also about if we are choosing the right builder. My hair is coming out. Some first world problems for sure. but to me, very real.

I agree with Tom, book the buggy. Just before Christmas, we had a really long walk and then up and down stairs with my crutches through the airport in Vienna. There were hardly any staff, but a lady in a small sandwich shop used a radio and they called someone for me. I felt like the Queen or the old Pope in the Pope Mobile! they only make it beep when they are near people!

Gwil W said...

Presumably they can tell the state of a man's mind by what's in his pockets (although I have noticed that some men carry handbags). In my pockets you'd probably find a pen, a small notebook, a small phone, a large handkerchief, a plastic public transport card, a plastic medical card, cash, keys, and sometimes on my a trouser belt there's a small camera in a pouch as I'm always on the lookout for a new photo opportunity. Yesterday evening you'd only have found the plastic bus pass a stopwatch and some keys.

Good luck in Amsterdam. I don't like big airports. My favourite airport is the small one by the sea in the Isle of Man. No stress there! Or at least there wasn't when I holidayed there several years ago.

Rachel Phillips said...

Don't be too proud to book a wheelchair or buggy. You wont regret it. You will if you don't.

Derek Faulkner said...

What women carry around in their handbags and why they need to, has always been a mystery to me, although they will normally tell you that every one of the items is vital to their normal daily life. It's also a mystery that they carry so many valuable items in a thing that is easily snatchable.
Gwil W surprised me, in that he carried so much around with him. Pretty much 90% of the time, the most you'll find in my pockets are a hanky, phone and car keys.

jinxxxygirl said...

You speak much like my husband Pat... I think he would rather crawl than be caught in a wheelchair... But let me tell you about my grandfather...He had terrible arthritis... Eventually he walked with two canes... Everyday he would get out in his garden and work with his plants... he'd drop the canes and pick up a hoe which would help prop him up as he went up and down the rows... You would never catch him using a wheel chair... One day they took me to an amusement park... and Grandpa used a wheel chair...By allowing himself to be in a wheel chair he turned what could have been a very tedious,painful, trying time for all of us into an enjoyable , memorable time... Food for thought Pat...

Whats in my purse..hmmmm.... i don't have it near me but lets see if i can remember.... my wallet, a small tape measure, small penknife, pen, small notebook, chapstick, coughdrop, sanitary napkin, an ad for a sale i hope to catch.... i think thats it...lol Hugs! deb

Joanne Noragon said...

Do get the wheel chair, and smile and nod regally, if anyone looks. And, they won't.

Dartford Warbler said...

Last year I tried to cut down on the 'stuff' in my handbag, by getting a smaller handbag. It didn`t work. The small handbag gets so full that I can`t close the zip any more! Now I`m looking out for a bigger one.........

Good luck at Schipol. When we visited Amsterdam a few years ago we went by train, via the Eurostar. A real sense of travelling and the station is in central Amsterdam, so easy to negotiate.

Elizabeth said...

I worry about the state of the world
possible accidents to all of my beloveds
couldn't care less what I look like -or weigh!

Yes, you should get a wheelchair at the airport so you are not too tired when you get to your destination.
My mother once got a wheelchair but got bored and jumped up to go to a bookstall - feeling very guilty
but no one noticed.....

Keep us all posted about the great grand child!

donna baker said...

Well Pat, I think you know me enough to know worry/anxiety is my middle name. Were you a girl scout? Always be prepared. Keep an couple of aspirins for you or the farmer and lists of numbers and anything just in case. Probably never need any of it, but better safe than sorry. I would be in that chair in a minute and have them meet me at the car with it.

Mac n' Janet said...

I'm a terrible worrier, could do it professionally I'm so adept at it. Saw an article where they surveyed older people (60 +) and asked them what their greatest regret was. And the surprising answer was they wished they'd worried less.

Mary said...

Personally I'm trying hard on the actual bags themselves - using lighter, easier to carry styles, especially across-body ones when traveling. No more hauling a weighty leather designer type bag about on one shoulder - very unhealthy! I feel the weight of an empty bag and if already heavy, toss it, because with all my 'stuff' in it I'm going to have a problem. There's a fabulous bag company here called "Baggallini" - perhaps they're available in UK also. Mainly for travel, with lots of zippered sections, they are made of great light fabrics, many are cross-body adjustable, and they have great looking styles and colors.

Yes, health, our own and that of our loved ones, is always a worry - also accidents, mainly in autos. One day at a time is the only way to go - and enjoy the moment.

Definitely order wheels for that airport hike - sometimes I feel I'm never going to get from one gate to another - these new airports are often as large as cities!


Wilma said...

In my little bag (5x7x2 inches) I have my wallet with cash, credit cards, driver's license. chapstick, passport, 1 small paper towel, comb, phone, shopping lists, pen. It has a long strap and I hang it across my my body to foil purse snatchers. But I also have a larger "tote" bag that my little bag can fit in along with prescription sunglasses in their case, water bottle, folded re-usable shopping bags, small towel with room left for any purchases. Every trip off our property can prove to be an adventure, so I like to be prepared, but I also like to travel light. I don't worry very often, because in my experience things usually work out OK if you are prepared to take action. Dennis thinks I should worry more. I worry about him. ;-)

At most US airports, people in wheel chairs get treated quite well and are often moved to the head of the line. Traveling with my Mother when she used a wheel chair was almost a treat. Of course there are horrible exceptions that tend to make the online news.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

I'm a human stressball and I don't even have a handbag!

Librarian said...

Very interesting to correlate the contents of someone's bag with their worries; it certainly makes sense!

I am not one to worry much. In fact, some would say I am careless to the point of naive. My strong faith probably helps in that.
Also, ever since the very sudden death of my husband 6 years ago, just a few days after he'd turned 41, gave me a change of perspective that was very helpful on the worries front.

In my handbag you'll usually find my keys, wallet, mobile phone, packet of tissues and - if I am on my way to work- my kindle. Sometimes I carry some mints and a chapstick. It's not a lot of things, but it's things I use every day - and there is no way I could fit them into my clothes pockets. Most of my clothes don't have any pockets!

Toni said...

Interesting. I carry the smallest purse I can find. Only cell phone, driver's license, debit card, cash (at times), a pen, a check book (yes, I still carry one!), lip gloss (in winter, not in summer because Redding heat melts it and makes a mess!) and a photo of my husband and I dancing at a wedding about 15 years ago. (Full Disclosure: occasionally a wrapper of an almond joy might be hiding in one of the folds to be discarded at the first opportunity).

If possible, I leave my purse at home and carry only driver's license and debit card in a pocket of my jeans.

The bible says not to be anxious. All self-help gurus warn not to worry. I have authority issues and am very disobedient. I'm a stress factory!

Heather said...

I used to have a large handbag which was roomy enough for some shopping items as well as all my bits and pieces. It got so heavy with everything I filled it with that I decided to buy a smaller one which only carries the basics.
I have just overcome a lengthy period of anxiety and have no wish to return to it, though I do still worry about my husband's health sometimes. I don't worry about my own or my children's health as they have found out how to live with their various conditions and discomforts.

Coppa's girl said...

My husband has walking difficulties and these days always has a wheelchair. Over the past few years we've found that the service provided has been pretty good. Only Copenhagen airport, so far, has not been up to standard. The chair "pushers" have been the most charming youngsters - often students who have been very keen to chat, extremely helpful and concerned about your comfort. So go ahead and book a chair. It will save you worrying and struggling, and I don't think you'll regret it.

Gerry Snape said...

The problem with any of my handbags is not what is in them...its trying to get a specific thing out at an appropriate moment...broken nails and red face as the item appears to be lost in the darkly depths of the bottom!! Then at last the blessed item appears!
The worrying thing is something else...it depends on who I'm worrying about and whether they are sensible or drama queens...then I must make decisions!...love the post Pat.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I tend to worry - and try to remind myself that generally worrying brings no change in events to come - and that helps.

As for the wheelchair - because of having polio when I was 5 I have become more and more crippled with Post Polio Syndrome (a return of the symptoms because nerves have worn themselves out from doing the work of the originally damaged nerves). I walk with two trekking poles and always request a wheelchair and an escort cart at the airports. Everyone is helpful and cheerful and make me feel comfortable and they take you to the front of the line so the wheelchair attendant can help others. The thing that bothers me the most is walking into a restaurant using my trekking poles and hearing people whisper - often loud enough for me to hear. Some comments I've heard often are "look at that woman", or "why does she think she needs two ski poles to walk?" - or my favorite - the smart remark - "oh you seem to have lost your skis". I have heard that a million times and find it annoying and embarrassing. I know I'm handicapped, I don't need to be reminded. People don't make smart remarks to someone in a wheelchair - why snipe at someone who is walking with assistance? A cane seems to not get the same attention. Children's curiosity is fine - I'll let them hold the poles if possible and try them out - but rude remarks from adults are just ugly. I appreciate people who teach their children that being handicapped is normal for some people and also for teaching their children respect by being respectful themselves. Ok - off my soap box now.

Cro Magnon said...

Yes, do go for the wheelchair. Apart for anything, they know exactly where to take you.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Seems we all worry sometimes. Seems also that we all have similar things in our handbags/trouser pockets.
Thanks for the wheelchair advice for airports. I am just about to e mail my travel agent to go ahead and book one.

potty said...

I have a small purple leather satchel that just takes: Purse(with C/Cs), Diary, Notebook with shopping list and sizes of stuff recorded, nail emeryboard, two plastic bags (doggybag) and a little box with a day's supply of husband's pills. I used to have loads of handbags that went with different shoes but now I rarely change the stuff from the one bag. Reading glasses are on a string around my neck. Driving glasses and sunglasses, Mob. phone -switched off and battery depleating- along with the ever required paper kitchen roll live in the car.
Absolutely go for the wheelchair.

Terry and Linda said...

I can get so worried about all sorts of little things...then I have to remember to tell myself what my Momma would say: 'Everything works out for the best, if you will just let it.' Sometimes have have to remind myself more than one.

Linda