| I heard a man on a radio call-in show ranting about | | | | food or clothing--or because she has nothing left to |
| how much money his wife spends on nail polish. I | | | | wear. Notice I didn't say, "nothing in her closet." She |
| personally do not buy nail polish, but I still had to | | | | always has plenty in her closet. The problem is, none |
| sympathize with the man's wife. If he's like many | | | | of it fits. So she goes gathering and what does she |
| husbands I know, he's carrying on about his wife's $5 | | | | gather? Something else that doesn't fit because she |
| nail polish while he's paying off a speedboat loan. | | | | wants to lose weight anyway. In other words, when |
| In my husband's mind, the only thing standing | | | | women shop, they feel inadequate about their bodies. |
| between him and a Harley-Davidson Sportster or a | | | | When men shop, they feel inadequate about their |
| Triumph TR6 is me. While I do stand there--and | | | | vehicle fleet. |
| firmly rooted I might add--I am certainly not standing | | | | Women also feel the need to replace what has gone |
| alone. There are also many thousands of dollars | | | | out of style. To their credit, men often hunt for |
| between him and everything he wants. And that is a | | | | items that never go out of style, although they do |
| much more formidable obstacle than I'll ever be, | | | | require routine maintenance--and new tools. |
| believe it or not. | | | | Many women I know don't just gather for |
| Women and men are very different when it comes | | | | themselves and their own family. I know a woman |
| to their shopping extravagances. There are | | | | who bought a case of dog food because it was on |
| exceptions of course, but in general, when women | | | | sale. She doesn't even own a dog, but her sister |
| go on a shopping spree, they buy an outfit (or two | | | | does does. A man wouldn't think to bring home food |
| or three) for themselves and underwear for the | | | | for someone else's dog. But he might bring home a |
| whole family. When men go on a shopping spree, | | | | dog. |
| they need a cosigner. | | | | Hunters and gatherers behave differently when they |
| I believe our shopping differences may stem from | | | | get their purchases home, too. Many women I know |
| our hunter/gatherer beginnings. When men go | | | | hide their acquisitions from husbands who accuse |
| shopping, they want to drag something home. | | | | them of shopping too much. They quickly take the |
| Admittedly, they drag home far fewer items than | | | | tags off and toss the new socks and underwear into |
| their wives gather, but they're way ahead if you | | | | the dirty hamper. If a husband notices his wife's new |
| compare their purchases by weight rather than | | | | outfit, she tells him it's been at the dry cleaners. (A |
| volume. | | | | wise woman keeps dry cleaner bags on hand. ) Or |
| My friend took her husband shopping for groceries at | | | | she says it was a hand-me-down from her sister. A |
| a big discount store. She swears she only let him out | | | | wise woman has a sister. |
| of her sight for a moment. But that was long enough | | | | Men, on the other hand, have a harder time hiding |
| for him to hunt down a television and put it into their | | | | what they've drug home. That's because quite often, |
| cart--right there beside the paper towels and canned | | | | a man's purchase requires an addition to the garage. |
| soup she had gathered. | | | | And most wives are likely to notice that. |
| A gatherer goes shopping because the children need | | | | |