I recently attended a baby shower, something that I never thought that I would do unless I had first gone to Thailand for a sex change operation (cannot afford U.S. prices for elective surgery!). Apparently this is the style with modern/older mothers and there were at least 7 or 8 other guys there.
The situation was made more challenging to my fragile sense of masculinity by the fact that I offered to re-park a car at a neighbor’s house, in order to free up parking spaces for additional guests. The owner had left her purse in the car and the locks on the old Saab, along with everything else, seemed to have failed. I decided that I couldn’t leave the purse in the car. Thus did I find myself walking to a baby shower carrying a woman’s purse.
Ah, man… the no guys at a baby shower line is still clearly drawn in the sand! 7 or 8 guys there!? WTF!? You’re making it harder for the rest of us to hold the line! Get back on the right side of the line!
Obviously a man secure in his own being. 🙂
Sounds like that trip to Thailand is imminent… Attending baby showers is just the first step.
Phil,
That sounds like a scene right out of a great comedy movie. I’d love to see a video of it complete with your thought bubbles.
As far as this new trend with men going to baby showers, I think it is a bunch of crap. Even though the guys might hang out in the garage with the beer, baby showers are for women. To take it a step further, people who can financially provide for the baby shouldn’t even be having baby showers. Baby showers are traditionally meant for young mothers who need help procuring all the baby gear.
I am all up for a party to celebrate a new addition to a family, but I don’t think I should be buying a baby-bjorn for a family with good jobs, a house, and 2 cars in the garage.
same for bridal showers too. Why the gifts? Isn’t it enough that we give a gift at the wedding?
maybe I am just an old curmudgeon, but it all seems a bit excessive to me.
Wow, you really have to be secure to carry a woman’s purse. Better yet, if someone asked, just say that it’s your man purse. I have a neat mini backpack that I use when I’m shooting film. I wear it over the shoulder like any camera bag, but it’s better because it has a slim profile. I should use when I’m shooting digital too. In addition to the cards and batteries it can hold my cell phone, keys, chewing gum, nail clipper and I can take it when I go shopping or to a picnic or to a movie or……….
“As far as this new trend with men going to baby showers”
An even newer trend is women not going to baby showers :)) And since I am way ahead of the curve, I was not going to baby showers from as long as I can remember.
I did eventually witness one. The guys at work threw one for a pregnant female colleague.
Were you also carrying an iPhone?
Maybe your title would more accurately capture the sentiment of the post and some of the comments better if it were “Straight Men at Baby Showers”…
Two cheers for you! My experience with my women friends has been that they were more concerned with having their good friends present, men or women.
Aw man!
Haven’t you had to do the purse thing before? Girlfriend, Wife, sister, mother or someone wants you to hold her purse while she tries on something.
I usually put it down between my feet where I stand or sit. in the case of the carrying bit, under the arm, like a football works best for those embarrassing situations. LOL
When you definitely, absolutely, positively cannot avoid carrying a purse, wedge it between your bent arm and your side, like a running back holding a football*.
It’s still not manly, but it’s the closest you’re gonna get.
(* For British readers: “a *real* football”.)
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Be thankful atleast she didn’t forget her Macbook or iPhone in the car. Imagine if people saw you carrying one of those in public 🙂
Sorry, I have to disagree. There were no “men” at that baby shower. Respectfully decline the invitation next time.
You could have run with the purse. Then people would have just thought you were a thief.