The dreaded call for the worst chore I could POSSIBLY inflict!
Matching the orphan socks in the yellow laundry basket of infinite depth
It's been a few years since I threw any away. And believe me, it's not like I am keeping the ooky socks, either; if a solo sock comes through that's holed, or threadbare, I chuck it. Now, maybe that's the root of some of this chaos. If I throw away *one* sock, that means there's an umatched sock left, right? But come on, how is it possible we have THIS MANY ORPHAN SOCKS!
This is just the white ones that have something *not* white on them (red stripes, words, gray toes/heels)
Here is the complete collection of socks.
I asked the kids to come up and look over the sadness. I call it ... The Apoca-sock-alypse.
And right away Suzu reaches out and snatches three or four socks off of the table.
"I have the matches for these. I was waiting for them!"
So, three down, eighty-seven to go! Then Roxie Jane very slowly, quietly reaches out and picks up another.
"I'm wearing the other one of these right now."
I look and down and point at her feet. She has two socks on. She grins sheepishly, "They don't match exactly."
AUGH!
Does anyone with whom we might have stayed in the last several years (or who, in turn, might have stayed with us) recognize any socks as matching a straggler you have in your own orphan sock collection?
It was funny to me that everyone, all of the kids, even Jenni, rolled their eyes at my fervor. Why not wear socks that *almost* match?
Well, I understand. I've certainly done that in the past, especially if I'm low on socks (or if Jennilyn is taking a nap, and all my matched pairs are in our room). I don't know why it matters so much to me. I suspect part of it is a control thing; there are so many issues in my life where I have *NO* control at all, it is nice to have absolute perfect control of something.
But it comforts me to have socks that *really* match. They were acquired as a pair, they belong together.
So I'm tossing out the unmatched solos. So long, orphans!
Well, I am *going* to, anyway. In a couple of weeks, after all the other lonely stragglers have a chance to cycle through the laundry...so, really soon.
3 comments:
Saw this the a couple days ago and thought of sock parties. http://lifehacker.com/5858722/how-to-avoid-losing-your-socks-in-the-laundry
Loved this post. Laughed hard. Very heart-warming. And nightmare inducing. How can so many socks get lost? Just heartbreaking.
And yes... I will have you to thank for the nightmares. Sock parties may be *the* reason I started doing laundry on my own. The better to check the dryer and wash machine. And I would still lose one every once in a while. (The college experience- you more often get lost socks of other people, who didn't check the machine. Nothing like finding someone *else's* lucky black sock.)
Also may be one of the reasons FUN socks (of bright colors and unique patterns) were so highly regarded. They stand out and you can easily snatch them. And I knew that none of the white ones were mine. (Though now - I have more whiter ones. With just bits of color. Because they are warmer and more ankle supportive than the festive ones.)
Sydnie R purposefully mix matches socks. So she never notices lost socks.
Dean only has 1 kind of white sock. With a grey toe/heel and a red&black stipe. So if one is lost, there are plenty of friends in the drawer and it goes unnoticed.
Sometimes it is nice to have complete control of something. There are so many things that are out of control, or impacted by other's choices, or that is sad to watch others hurt themselves. I said those same words after a very long last day of the semester, yesterday. (And seeing all the hurting grades.) I was explaining why I had to finish sweeping before I could eat dinner. James gave me a big hug, let me finish a little more, and then brought me food and a filled cup of water.
Oh- and the bright blue ankle sock? Might be mine. Might also not be. Need a better close-up :)
Oh- and we looked again really close at your white socks. None are ours.
Babe, you have lots of socks-appeal! Loved this post, too, even as it exposes my lack of laundry supervision...hehehhee
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