Jolly Brolly or a Sunny Sight

I was already in a reasonably good mood yesterday when I left the house. It was intensely sunny, and I was going for a quick hike, so I had sunglasses and a hat and sunblock and the whole thing. And then I saw that up the block a woman was walking who'd taken a different approach—she had a big fluorescent orange umbrella.

It was fun to see a person walking along in the bright sun with an umbrella over her head, and having a camera I hurried after her. She was making good time, and I really had to chase her—she just kept bobbing away, and I felt like a child chasing a butterfly. But I managed a few long-distance snaps, and then watched her disappear.

When did women stop carrying parasols? Those colorful paper ones, like Chinese lanterns? Sure, they're not practical if you need to be using your hands, I suppose, but they can be twirled fetchingly, or hid behind with facetious coyness, and that has to count for something. As a whimsy wonk, this is my suggestion for society—that we stroll more, and carry appurtenances just for style and show. Slender canes for the men, and parasols for the ladies, and then we can float down the sidewalks like swans, the parasols slowly atwirl in the bright sun. I think that would be lovely.