POCKETS ======= Some anthropologists argue that civilization is measured by the number and contents of pockets. Extra pockets, such as purses and wallets, are especially indicative of their cultures. It is the pockets in clothing, however, that give depth and meaning to this standard. Examples are abundant, from the truck driver with his condoms and pressure guage, to the waitress with her disarray of spare pens, change, and lost tickets. Further evidence may be found in schools, where children study the contents and character of their favourite teacher's pockets. It is noted that girls study the back ("primary") pockets of males, while boys concentrate on the front shirt ("secondary") pockets of females - or at least, the place where pockets would be. This is important; whence, "If only she had pockets!" However, visual stimuli are not the sole incentive to pocket development. The early accretion of pockets and "pocket fillers" draws much of the ambition young people develop. The tactile sense is reinforced by the visual, so that "neat pockets" is the idiom of a young teen or pre-teen. Sensual development is closely allied to pockets. Without a pocket, the civilized individual is bereft of identy or stature, and feels a sense of "flatness" which robs the world of texture and sensation. Experiments have shown that pocket contents may be altered without discomfort, so as the approximate weight and shape are retained. It is the stimulating contents of pockets that reaffirm and tie the individual closely to their parent civilization. ÿ