Plastic bags are outlawed in the town where I shop.

You either bring your own bag, or buy a paper one for 5 cents.

Five cents is no big deal.  It’s just irritating.

So I’ve been accumulating an assortment of my own… some for free, some cost a buck or two.  And I’m doing pretty good remembering to bring them along.  Sometimes I put them in the car, but forget to bring them into the store… which is even more irritating.

Apparently other folks have the same problem.  I’ve seen a package of pork chops stuffed into a jacket pocket… and a loaf of bread snuggled into a baby carrier… with the baby.  You got to do what you got to do.

This morning I remembered to put my bags into the car… AND… bring them into the store.  It was a good day.

A young man walked in, just as I headed out with my cornucopia of loaded bags.  He looked much like any one of my four sons…

…strong, hardworking, manly.

Dressed in work books, blue jeans and a Carhart-style jacket… a lovely, lavender floral print shopping bag swung from his right hand.

I stared at him.

I could not help it. 

And when he saw me he did the predictable guy thing… crumpled the bag into a ball and stuffed it under his arm.

I felt kind of bad for him.  But it got me thinking… maybe there’s a market for man shopping bags!  Brown or black canvas… perhaps a nice stripe or a muted plaid.  OK, that might be too much.  But I could be on to something.

Manly Man Shopping Bags

Seriously, can you see any of the four above carrying a lavender, floral print?

Maybe I should break out the sewing machine.

Because BYOB will eventually be in your town.  And our menfolk deserve better.