Today I went to my very good friend Sue’s house for some advice on blogging and a quick tutorial on how to use WordPress. It was all very helpful and as a little bonus for me she gave me a birthday present 3 weeks early. I’m still not sure if it was an early birthday present or positive reinforcement for starting my own blog.
Either way she presented me with an Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt. Which I put on as soon as I got home. I’m wearing it now and it just feels good.
The tough choice came in the form of bag in which the T-shirt was in. An Abercrombie & Fitch bag.
For two reasons this presented a choice for me.
- I have to carry this bag from Sues house to my own
- I never want to look like I need to be seen with a label
It’s not so much the homoerotic picture that put me off carrying this bag through our small town, although that would have raised a few eyebrows. It was more the irony of me carrying this bag. Generally I care very little about what people think of me, if they think I’m gay then let them. I’m not, so it really doesn’t bother me what strangers think. It bothers me why it would have anything to do with them but that’s about all. What really put me off carrying it is that I look absolutely nothing like the perfectly chiselled Adonis pictured on the bag. Bizarrely posing without a t-shirt on the front of a bag containing a t-shirt.
My second issue is that I really don’t like being seen carrying a label. This was taught to me as a child/teenager by my parents refusal to waste money on buying me the brand new Nike or Adidas trainers. Even the Ninja Turtles I played with as a child were slightly cheaper versions that looked exactly the same. They were probably called Karate Turtles or something.
A solution came in the form of putting the Abercrombie bag inside another bag. ‘Bag-ception‘ if you will. Genius, save for the only bag on offer being one from a local well known female clothing store.
My choices now were
- Bag in a bag
- Carry the bag proudly hoping that nobody thinks it’s a statement
- Carry the bag and look like a fashion victim.
I opted for ‘Bag in a Bag’- Somehow I’d convinced myself that people would look at me and think – ‘Wow, look how confident that guy is, he has brought his girl some new underwear, wow it takes a confident man to navigate a female undergarment section and make a purchase’. No one would know what was actually in the bag and people would assume I was a happy confident guy with a loving girlfriend and all the trimmings. Women would look at me in the street and think –‘I wish I had a fella who brought me sexy lingerie, that’s the kinda guy I want to ride like a bronco’.
Turns out I’d got the bag and t-shirt home without people even flickering an eyelid. And after reading everything I’ve just typed I realised how ridiculous it all sounds. But hey I did plan it that way, simply because I’d had no other inspiration to log in to WordPress and type this afternoon.
MrPolly 
I think this post is the reason I want to read other people’s blogs- to see the tiny little things that either stop them from doing something (bag carrying through town and why- brilliant!) or makes them do something… At times these small little thoughts people share can show me (and others) that, indeed, we are not all a**holes and that some people just have the best time with themselves in their heads! 😀
I always over think things in my head. I like to know why I’m doing something because that way it’s easier to work out why other people do things. I’d hate to be in a position where I do something and have no idea why.
Sensible… This “skill” of over thinking would be great for an analyst career probably…
It would be a great skill for everyone to have and use. Too many people don’t think upon their actions.
Ha! How great would that be if everyone was well and able to think before they act/speak? How different world we would be living in…
Inspiration hits in the form of Daily Prompts – follow The Daily Post (some are stupid) and sign up for Writing 101, Blogging University and Writing 201 – they will give you nightmares and THOUSANDS of followers
Yeah Sue told me about these. Feels like homework lol
Oh it’s not! I did the one in June and last month and it’s actually FUN. I thought the same thing. Then you get into it. A lady in Switzerland and I were getting a little odded out on some of the prompts for Writing 101 – but they grew my skills so much I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I was just reading The daily post as your reply came through. I’m thinking about ordering a pizza and giving it a go.
Hey do that – send one over here – oh wait a minute it would get cold …….
Made even better than the fact I put the bag in a female clothing bag… Glad you like the tshirt…
Sounds like it was on purpose.
Oh boy, Paul, this is so funny but you have to look at this from another angle as well. Take me – Gay man in early 50’s. Abercrombie & Fitch bag with that picture on it – proudly display that bag I would 🙂
The other bag that Suzie gave you to put the Abercrombie bag in – Gay man early 50’s – Oh my god, he’s a drag queen!!!!
I’m not a drag queen by the way but your post just prompted me to let you know how it would of been from my perspective as well.
Keep these post coming Paul, cause I’m really enjoying them 🙂
Lol thank you. I did think what if people thought ‘drag queen’ but then I remembered the beard would have probably handled that assumption for me. Another friend and I actually have a couple of characters we do on the phone as a laugh, which are northern drag queens. We are hilarious as shazza and Pauline lol. Commenting on daily life. There’s a TV show in there for sure.
Oh definitely there is. Maybe some upcoming posts detailing the conversations Shazza and Pauline have?
As for the beard v’s drag queen thing, are you forgetting about the wonderful Conchita Wurst who won Eurovision this year? Maybe you are, or could it be that you are not a Eurovision fan. Either way, check him/her out and the winning song that won it for Austria this year.
Haha I mostly certainly am not a Eurovision fan. I watch it every year! It’s so awful it’s hilarious. The last one helped as I am massively in love with Ruth Lorenzo. I’ll be honest that’s who I’m waiting for.
Well I’ll raise my glass to Ruth and you then and look forward to reading all about it as soon as it happens 🙂
Ha so will I