A long commute requires preparation. My bag is now packed with a laptop, water bottle, umbrella, and countless small necessities—each added for a reason, and none easily left behind.
The other day, I wrote about buying a larger-than-usual parasol.
It really is large.
Its size makes it rather cumbersome to carry around, but I bought it for a reason, and above all, it works extremely well. So I keep it in my bag and take it with me.
My previous umbrella was a short, rain-only umbrella, so small that I sometimes forgot it was even in my bag.
Even when I tried to use it as a sunshade, the area it covered was extremely limited.
This new one, however, completely covers the shadow of my body on the ground, even under the blazing sun.
After walking through the intense sunlight, I enter a building and close the umbrella. Feeling how much heat the umbrella itself has absorbed makes me realize just how hot it was outside.
Then there are the sudden evening showers.
These days, when it rains, it often pours.
A small umbrella does not feel particularly reassuring in such weather.
I have to admit that, in this case, bigger really is better.
And so, another useful item has joined the contents of my bag.
The bag, however, is becoming rather full.
And it was already heavy to begin with.
The greatest contributor to its weight, despite its modest size, is undoubtedly my MacBook Air, which weighs 1.24 kilograms.
Then there is another keyboard that I place over the laptop keyboard to reduce typing noise on the train, along with chargers and cables.
Altogether, the computer-related equipment probably weighs around two kilograms.
Then comes the water bottle.
My commute takes two hours each way.
There is no telling what might happen along the way, and at this time of year, carrying water is also essential for preventing heatstroke.
Five hundred milliliters of water alone weighs 500 grams, plus the weight of the bottle itself.
Then there are all the other things.
Pens and a pencil case, a hairbrush, nail clippers, emergency medication, a reusable shopping bag, keys, a shoehorn, my ID card, a wallet, and a coin purse.
The bag itself is not particularly light, either.
If my main bag is the primary residence, it also has an annex.
The annex is a handbag made by my wife.
It contains my lunch, a snack for when I get a little hungry, and disinfectant wipes.
This combination of belongings has been refined through many years of commuting.
Take away any one of them, and I would probably find myself inconvenienced.
My late father used to leave home without a key because my mother was there.
That is, well, difficult for me to imagine.
The other small items also have a way of becoming necessary at unexpected moments.
The parasol and water bottle are now absolute necessities.
What did humans carry with them when they lived as hunters?
They must have taken clubs, bows, arrows, and other equipment.
In other words, they too walked around carrying a fair amount of weight.
Seen that way, perhaps there is nothing particularly strange about my carrying a heavy load through modern society.
Humans have always carried whatever they needed to get through the day.
When I look around, I see many people, both men and women, walking with surprisingly large bags.
I sometimes find myself wondering what they are carrying inside.
Every heavy bag may contain a small history of the life its owner has learned to prepare for.
・・・
cumbersome
Difficult to carry, use, or manage because of its size or weight.
大きさや重さのため、持ち運びや扱いが厄介な。
sunshade
Something used to protect a person or place from direct sunlight.
直射日光を避けるための日除け。
blazing sun
Extremely strong and hot sunlight.
照りつける強い日差し、炎天下。
sudden shower
A brief period of rain that begins unexpectedly.
突然降り出す雨、にわか雨。
reassuring
Making someone feel safer, calmer, or less worried.
安心感を与える、心強い。
contributor to its weight
Something that adds significantly to the total weight.
全体の重さを増している要因。
refined through many years
Gradually improved or selected through long experience.
長年の経験を通じて洗練された、絞り込まれた。
absolute necessity
Something that is completely essential and cannot easily be omitted.
絶対に欠かせないもの、必需品。
get through the day
To manage or cope with the demands of a day.
一日を何とか過ごす、乗り切る。
#DailyLife #Commuting #WhatIsInMyBag #ModernLife #pathologist
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