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?