Older women should shift from purse to backpack. The switch can ease anxiety and offer a welcome hug.
Older women who live alone are not the target audience for manufacturers of backpacks. Advertisements typically sport young men and women using the bag for hikes or for toting a computer.
But I am obsessed with this utilitarian bag and believe women around my age -- I am 84 -- who are their own caretakers would benefit from tossing their purses and strapping on a backpack. Here are some reasons why:
- I am out and about several times a day with my dog, Doris. Along with my advanced years, I am a tiny 4'9". We live in a busy Chicago neighborhood. I worry that on one of our four daily walks, a speeding car may send one or both of us to our emergency rooms.
All my identification cards are stored in what I consider my traveling filing cabinet. My photo I.D., Medicare and supplemental insurance cards are packed, along with my emergency contacts. With all these requirements for entry at the ready, I may be assured speedier treatment.
-Among my backpack's contents is a miniature pharmacy. My pouch of antiseptic, Band-Aids, and Wipes provided me with a quick cleanup for the knee I skinned while tripping over my luggage at an airline gate.
Other waiting passengers rushed to assist, but I waved them off with a prideful, "I've got this."
Because I am occasionally cuffed by an aura that warns of a migraine, my small water bottle and Tylenol are at the ready. My ability to quickly foil the kaleidoscope corrupting my vision eliminates the full headache.
-My years as a Weight Watcher taught me that hunger leads to rash food choices. If a wave of ravenousness hits when away from home, almonds and dried fruit are at the ready. A few bites of my stash blunt the peril of extra pounds.
-Depending on how fully loaded it is, my backpack weighs 5-ish pounds. This weight pulls my body upright and straightens my back's curve, which has been affected by mild scoliosis. Also, I consider the added pounds akin to the dumbbells used at my gym to strengthen muscle.
-My backpack hugs my body as if it were a lover. I was divorced after a 30-year-marriage and widowed after a 12-year second one. Since those two departures, nary a male has wrapped his arms around me, pulled me close, or assured me all will be well. I fantasize that the bag's straps are the limbs of a loved one, offering protection and warmth.
--A dangling purse in the crook of a wrinkled arm might entice a thief who spots easy prey. My pet is only 33 pounds, and as a shelter dog, came to me with anxieties of her own. She would not be a hero in my true crime scenario. Of course, someone bent on criminality might not be stalled by my choice of bag, but maybe they'd seek a less complicated victim.
-Backpacks are ideal for stashing electronic devices, which I am a fan of. Depending on my destination and purpose, in addition to my iPhone, I may also be toting my laptop, iPad, and ear buds along with their cords and chargers.
If I'm captive in a doctor's waiting room, I can eschew the outdated or dull magazines splayed on a table. Instead, I can use my iPad to read one of the hundreds of books stored there. With my ear buds, I can listen to a podcast or audio book. If I'm so motivated, I can open my laptop to type an essay. In short, I won't be tapping my foot or continuously checking my watch to fend off boredom or irritation.
-Any old backpack won't suffice to serve the purposes I've outlined. My favorite has two outside pockets; one holds the water bottle; the other sunglasses. The interior should be roomy enough to hold the pharmacy, the food, a makeup pouch, and a paperback, iPad, or Kindle.
A padded interior pocket for a cellular phone, and a key fob attached to an exterior pocket are lovely additions.
Thus, prepared for sudden visits to emergency rooms, last minute flights, waiting rooms, and other situations where the contents of my backpack are warranted; I skip the anxiety of being unprepared.
So instead of feeling odd for my backpack obsession, I count myself clever for finding a solution that eases my mind, provides on-the-spot medical treatment, offers instant hugs, prevents poor food choices, strengthens my body, and helps me appear jaunty rather than geriatric.