Thursday 2 February 2012

Sockless in spades

Why is it so difficult to find socks?

 Socks seem a pretty elementary things to need. Why then is it such a problem?

Am I alone in this quandary?

I just want socks. Normal length socks. The kind that fits comfortably on my sensible lace-up shoes. Not anklet type socks, nor long socks. They must cover my ankle joints. They must not be too thick or heavy. They should be cotton, or a cotton-synthetic blend. And they must be in colours I like. Purple would be fine, and so would blue. But not pink, red, green, yellow, brown or grey.  Black is ok but I already have enough black socks. White socks don't go well with my basic black shoes and long black pants. I need light socks for summer and thicker socks for winter.

I do not want to have to buy several pairs of socks at a time. If they were all purple or black, that would be all right. But not if only one pair of socks of the pack of three is in a colour or pattern I am happy with. Is this too much to ask? It seems so.

Several years ago I found a three-sock pack in black and purple. These socks have given excellent service, but they are now wearing out. There are holes in one pair and the others are very thin. So I stand in the sock aisles of department stores, poring over the socks, and yet, time after time, there are no socks of the desirable ilk to be found.  I feel quite peeved. Why does life have to be so complicated? Don't I have enough problems in my life? Why must my socklessness add to the general angst and torment?

There is a sock stall at the local weekend market, but if you buy only one pair of socks instead of three, it costs more. So I don't buy his socks. I peered at a shop in the city this afternoon, but yet again the capitalist system has failed me. I thought it was supposed to operate on a demand and supply basis. There I am, demanding away, but where is the supplying?

I can only conclude that the wicked marketers are to blame for causing even more irritation and problems in my life.

It is high time that purple socks were included in the basic necessities of life, and the Happiness Index.

It seems that while on the one hand it is easy to buy purple nail polish, on the other hand purple socks and purple lipsticks have fallen through the colander of human happiness.

Herewith a general warning: never throw out anything purple.

I think I will go and have a glass of almost purple wine, to revive my drooping spirits.

Another thought just struck me (Ouch!) Years ago, when I was trying to buy particular camellia cultivars, and found that no nurseries socked them, it generally happened that all the nurseries stocked the cultivars in question the following year. Will the sock manufacturers follow suit?

5 comments:

Elisabeth said...

Socks, Persiflage, I have a bag filled with lonely ones that have lost their mate in my ironing cupboard. I collect them all year and at the end of each year I try and find their disconnected partners. As for purple, it's in fashion at the moment I'm told, so maybe you need to go to fashion shops for such socks. Good luck with it. Purple wine sounds like a good comfort solution.

Elephant's Child said...

My partner really likes coloured socks. Nope. He can have black or grey or caramel. Unlike Elisabeth we don't get socks on their own but they do wear out. And purple ones would be lovely - just not as you say ankle or lower. Sigh.

The Cranky Crone, she lives alone! said...

Hello!
I came across you from your comment on Friko's blog today.
Just like to say I reconise how you feel and have felt, reading a little way back through your blog, one minute congratulating oneself for being self sufficient and then the next feeling terrible alone, and not wanting to bother others who clearly have much to do and people to see, dinners to cook for people to eat and enjoy.
I think most of all I miss the little chats and reassurances that came just before sleep and before getting up in the mornings, but we evolve and time does change things.
Life never stops changing, I feel like I am always running along holding my hat trying to keep up, I never do, just occasionally maybe, then off it goes again.
I have just got use to my life as it is and now my father is needing my attention every day, life has yet again become unrecognisable, so im hitching up my skirt holding on to my hat and running..................
Oh! and good luck with the sock situation.
Best wishes CC.

Frances said...

Oh yes. When there is such an amazing array of fabulously inventive objects and appliances to buy, why can a simple item be simply unobtainable? As if they were rationed?
Good luck with the great sock hunt!

molly said...

I read this a few days ago and had sympathy pains, mostly from laughing! Socks are one of life's little frustrations. We need them to keep our aged feet warm in winter; we need the pairs to stick with their partners and not go running off with drastically different strays the minute we put them in the washing machine; we need them to be long enough not to show expanses of pale leg between them and the hems of our pants when we sit down; we need them to be snug enough to stay up, but not so snug as to cut off circulation; we need, we need , we need socks that don't distract us from the important things in life! I am as puzzled by you as to why it is so difficult to get [and hold onto] these kinds of socks!

P.S. It's nice to know that Stomper comes by her penchant for purple honestly!