Monday’s hero, in which we celebrate the inanimate.It’s weird how one can develop an affection for things simply by using them, but when an item proves itself through repeated use I can begin to feel something that can even edge into respect.
Todays hero is the Trader Joe’s Bucket reusable shopping bag. During the trip to Sylt this past July this was the single most useful item I had packed. I’m a person who generally doesn’t leave the house without an entire packed kit. My cluttering extends itself to my daily commute, where my shoulder bag contains any number of books, sketchbooks, camera, pens, pencils and so forth. I am prepared for any eventuality, including what might happen if I should buy even more stuff during the day. And I inevitably do. To that end I make sure that I have an extra bag or two tucked into what ever bag I’m carrying. Couple that with my anxiety about despoiling the planet, and I’ve gotten very conscious of the number of disposable plastic bags that make their way through my hands without constant vigilance. So I pick up the reusable ones at the stores I go to. Or at least I used to. Now that I’ve gotten this one I feel like I have the perfect solution.
Great for shopping, yes, but it’s also big enough and waterproof enough to make an excellent beach bag. The circular bottom “bucket” design seems to make it less prone to tipping over, but the fact that the bottom is flat also means that it holds its shape well. This was a real problem for me when I was using a lot of mesh bags: since they had no internal structure they’d collapse if I put them down anywhere. It folds down flat to the size of a trade paperback and wipes clean with a damp cloth.
Evidently I’m not the only person who likes them: the last time I was in the Trader Joe’s on Atlantic Avenue, the checker, noting that I pulled one out, told me that this particular model is much sought after in Japan, and that they have a hard time keeping them in stock. In fact there seems to be a steady market for them on ebay.
I consider it one of the best $2.50 I ever spent.
Tags: Monday's hero, shopping, things, tools