in praise of the humble bag.

tuesday, january 3rd, 2023.

I've been fond of bags for a good long while now. Satchels, rucksacks, and just about anything you could call a "man purse."

I've got a number of them I've picked up from all sorts of places. Invariably, the cheapest ones are also the longest-lived. I have a canvas rucksack that I've used daily for the better part of a decade that I got for like $20. My nicer bags disappear into the back recesses of my closet, I suppose.

It's nice, having things with me! Multitool, journal, pens, a water bottle, a small bottle of naproxen, my lunch for the day, that sort of thing.

This weekend, I found a small Adidas vinyl bag for $15 in a Ross discount store. I'm going to start keeping the things I'd ordinarily keep in my pockets in this little bag. Wallet, keys, phone, and my pocket knife. It's got enough room for my water bottle and a book, if I want to go visit a park and do some reading.

I'm pretty excited to free up my pockets. Perhaps I'm most excited to make my phone just a little less convenient to reach. The first time I carried everything in this bag, my screen time was demonstrably reduced. I can always grab my phone if I need it, but it turns out to be not that often!

It's such a silly little thing, but little bags like these make me so happy!