Socks

You know how as a kid, when you got socks as a gift it was the most tragic thing you could recieve? It was like being insulted by your relatives, like they thought you unworthy of something valuable or beautiful or displayable or entertaining. A whole gift would be considered wasted when it was something like that. 
    I have found, as an adult, that I have the opposite opinion now. So much so that I specifically asked for socks for Christmas because I didn’t know what else was desirable since my house is so small and space is limited. It’s not just socks either, I get the same way with underwear too. If I find a nice multipack of super cozy underwear, I’m cheerful for four days. Boxers too, I’m a sucker for boxer shorts because I sleep in them and I like a good variety. I know not if this came from having seasonal coupons for stores I shop at online. It would make sense, given half the time a “ten percent off” or “buy this many for a cheaper price” was easiest with socks and underwear. There’s no risk, it’s just a choice of pattern. 
    As I’ve crammed more and more bullshit into my tiny living space, I have realized that small, everyday garments are a perfect way to satisfy my shopping craves and also not stress me out when it comes to storage. Everything else takes up space, but folded socks and rolled boxer shorts are very easy to squish. 
    Even without thinking about the storage benefits, seeing other people with fun socks entertains me greatly. It gets to where they don’t have to match your outfit, they’re just a separate display of happiness. Every other Saturday for example, my small herd of friends gather to watch Star Wars in chronological order. I have made it a challenge to try and look like a person in that universe when it comes to what I wear. However, my socks have free reign to look any way they want because when the shoes come off, we can all admire one another’s sock choices. I may be in all beige on the surface, but my feet are sheathed in red wool with sheep stitched all over.
    When my herd travelled to Tofino for a few days, one of my friends, who works with me, mentioned purchasing everyone toe socks as a joke because toe socks are horrendous. So she bought toe socks for our toes in Toe-fino off of amazon and they arrived the day before we were to leave. Watching the lot of us lose our minds laughing and grimacing as we struggled to don our awful gifts, made for some truly wonderful memories. It was chaotic and horrifying and hysterical. Whenever I see the stupid little toe shapes sticking out of my sock storage, I can’t help but smile for they take me back to good days amongst good people. 
    I suppose as an adult, these are the things you don’t want to pay for. When you have rent and bills and groceries and the fun in betweens, you don’t want to think about spending money on butt coverings. With a discount though, or as a present, it takes some worry away. Not to mention, you feel spiffy despite being the only one who knows why. This could just be my opinion, but if I was going to bed and suddenly someone decided to break in and I had to fight them off in a t-shirt and yellow daisy boxers, it would add an amusing touch to an otherwise inconvenient ordeal. Or, a more likely scenario, because it already happened once before, if I have to flee my building due to it being on fire, again, I can at least chuckle at the concept of saving some “may the forest be with you” tree covered socks if nothing else. 
    Maybe it’s because I’m poor, or maybe it’s because I’m an adult child and fun patterns make me happy, but good socks and underwear are what fuels me when nothing else can. When I need to treat myself with something in the mail, or have to buy a second item to get a good deal, those previously-seen-as-terrible-gifts have my back.