With this cold weather we have been having, I have been inclined to wear gloves.

The plunging temperatures play havoc on my phalanges (finger bones), and because I seem to have some circulation issues, the added protection helps keep them from becoming numb and stiff.

Last Sunday when the temperatures had really begun to fall, I even found myself wearing gloves indoors. I donned my fleeced lined Isotoners through most of the worship service at my church, and during the prayer, as my head was bowed, I looked down at my gloved hands. It was then that it dawned on me (possibly a spiritual awakening) how wise it might be if I were to wear gloves on a regular basis, especially during this time of year when the flu is rampant.

Just think how many germs you could avoid if you wore gloves!

You could eliminate the use of those nasty hand wipes they offer at the front of the grocery store to use on the handles of the buggies, and you could cut back on slathering your hands with alcohol laden hand sanitizers.

I don’t know about you, but my hands are looking like E.T., dried up and shriveled.

Right now, they are so dehydrated and parched from the chemicals in the sanitizers, there are a couple of places near my wrists where I barely bumped them and they have broken open and bled.

Maybe that Palmolive dishwashing liquid, you know the one that Madge the manicurist always claimed softened hands while you do dishes, could help my problem, but I really think gloves would be a better solution.

However, with today’s technology there is a downside to wearing gloves.

It is impossible to answer your cell phone or send out a text with gloves.

I know there are some kinds of gloves that, supposedly, you can use with a mobile devise, but they never worked that well for me.

I guess I could cut the ends off my gloves, but then why bother. Fingertips can be exposed to germs!

So when did women stop wearing gloves?

The internet was not much help with this question. The only thing I gleaned from my search was that women’s fashion is less formal now than it was years ago. Wearing gloves with a pair of jeans and t-shirt would look nonsensical.

But hey, I guess if I were brave enough, I could start a trend, and if I managed to keep from getting sick, it might just catch on.

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.