Monday, January 4, 2010

The Manly Hanky

Well, not that I ever thought a man carrying a handkerchief is so manly - regardless that the hanky usually isn't lacy, embroidered or of a sickly sweet shade. Although, of course, if you really think about it, it's convenient and pro-conservation. It is to disposable paper napkins much like a reusable shopping bag is to plastic bags... well, almost. Still, men, being men, make you wonder how often, if at all, they wash that plain, masculine, often chequered piece of cloth. Every time I see a man wipe his mouth or face with his handkerchief, I can't help thinking about the things it might contain - remnants of yesterday's lunch collected from the corners of the mouth, streaks of gravy halted in their dribbling down the chin last week, dried miscroscopic skin cells in dried perspiration, layer upon layer...

Once, I had the misfortune of witnessing someone gravely ill with flu blow his nose into the same handkerchief for a full two hours. By the end of it, the poor hanky was visibly soaked. Then, he gathered the soggy mess his hand and stuffed it back into the same pocket it was pulled out of earlier...

Distasteful! Pardon me.

3 comments:

Kelly Lai said...

That's disgusting. I almost can picture it. Well done in writing it out so vividly.

JS said...

Eeeuuuwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!
*Monkey using JS's account*

neil said...

Hahah. Sometimes, some things are better left unwritten, eh?