THE socks I wore this morning were darned ones! Huge holes had been finally told to shut up. I had been using them during the lockdown for my daily walk and since the walk I did was on my terrace and there was no one around, I had allowed those holes to take in the fresh air, that the world was suddenly enjoying.
But with the lockdown lifted, darned socks are what I wear now. Why, not new socks? Because I suddenly realised that it didn’t really matter as long as they covered my feet.
Which brings back memories of an older friend of mine who did not view his darned socks in the same way: “Bob,” he, a retired army officer who lost pension and fortune in bad investments had said, “I never ever thought I would see the day when I would have to wear stitched socks!”
There were tears in his eyes as he said those words and looked down at his socks. There were always tears in his eyes as he recalled and recollected better days that had gone by. I saw nothing wrong with his socks just as I see nothing wrong with my own newly darned socks. Only my socks and I know that some stitching has been done to repair gaping hole, but as far as the world is concerned they look like a perfectly normal pair.
But to my dear friend they made him feel, let down, depressed, and despondent. Are you wearing darned socks today? Are you wearing clothes that have seen better days? Driving a car that garage and mechanic are more or less holding together? The reasons could be legion.
A business that is reeling under the Covid-19 slaughter! A pension that has grown smaller with banks giving less interest. The loss of a job. Or a new one that doesn’t pay as much as the last one. Whatever the reason, if you can wear those darned socks with pride, if you can drive that old car with dignity, if you can put on that out of fashion dress with grace, then your life is happy and joyous but not if you are looking down at those old darned socks and reminiscing about prosperous days gone by.
Maybe there’s something your old socks are trying to tell you, ‘That contentment doesn’t come from branded pairs that look out from display window but from you who can shift gears smoothly from wearing whatever circumstances provide for your feet, with pride and contentment.’ “You sure gave me a thought today!” I tell my old darned ones, who can’t say a word back, after I’d stitched shut their mouths…!