The lady's bag syndrome

Painting from here.

Since the day I read this post from a friend's blog, I have been spotting more and more chivalrous knights slinging their noble lady's, um, satchel over their shoulders.

• The first strike was in the elevator at Shangri-la Mall--the bag in question was a hulky LV. (So it must've been heavy.)
• The second strike was in Greenbelt; and the bag was a medium-sized Coach. (Maybe it had a lot of coins inside. Coins can take up little space but add a lot of weight.)
• The last and final strike was also in Greenbelt; the bag was a glittery gold number that probably didn't weigh more than a pound. (I give up thinking of excuses.)

At the last sighting, while trying very hard not to say, "Dude, I love your bag," I decided--it's about time I wrote about it, too.

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What is the lady's bag syndrome (LBS)?
The lady's bag syndrome (LBS) is a mild illness that perhaps comes from a rare strain of the virus Courtesy--or maybe Chivalry. Its symptoms include the spontaneous sprouting of a lady's bag (sometimes of high-class designer origin) on the man's shoulder, arm or hand. Severity of case varies depending on the girliness of said bag.

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Seriously though, I'd like to think the man infected with LBS does it because he cares for the lady in question and wishes only for her comfort. The fact that the floral handbag is slung over a manly shoulder, then, can only be traced to one thing: the lady's consent! (Okay, ignorance on the part of both parties too, but that's beside the point.)

Girls--please, if you're thinking of saying yes, consider first how your young man will look carrying that bag. And unless you're carrying two bowling balls in there, I suspect saying no won't be that bad on your back.

Besides, if it's encouraging the chivalrous behavior that you're concerned with, there are a lot more great acts a young man can do without having to compromise his dignity with a female handbag. There's opening the door for the lady, offering a seat at the bus or train, stepping out of his car to greet the girl's family whenever he picks her up for their date (and then taking her home on time), introducing her properly to all those important people in his life, honoring her choice to prioritize purity...

All these he will do for his lady if she really believes that they matter (and if he's really as awesome as he wants her to think).

You see how so much depends on us girls?