NEW CASTLE —
It’s amazing what a great Christmas gift socks make.
I would love some brand new socks. Some fresh, cotton socks to wrap my feet in warmth and comfort. Socks to engulf my toes with their soothing embrace.
But ...
As children, we all despised the gift of socks and underwear that was usually given by a well-meaning grandparent or other fiscally conservative relative. It was a huge letdown to throw open the gift wrap and find a downright dull set of tube socks staring back at you, taking the place of what could have been the most wonderful gift.
These socks have stolen the place that belonged to a toy or game, thus making me one more toy away from my quota to reach a true Toy-Land Eutopia. Thanks Grandma, for the letdown.
I didn't ask for socks! I asked for the new Transformers, some MicoMachines, and an Atari, and this ain’t one of them! Geez, I showed you my letter to Santa and even told you what I wanted and, um, I don’t recall the word socks being in there anywhere.
I'm overflowing with socks. I can't even begin to count them all. I'm inundated with socks. Where did they all come from? Oh, wait I know, from my wonderful relatives who think it's a swell idea to give a kid socks for Christmas, birthdays, Easter, even Halloween.
While we are at at it, let's get some Thanksgiving socks and Ground Hog Day socks, and don’t forget Tuesday — that is a great sock-giving day too!
Fast forward a decade or so. I am sitting here, tooling through my sock drawer, and much to my dismay, I am wishing for socks. All my socks are worn out and stretched thin. They are mostly religious socks, because they all have become holey. I can't believe that I have embraced the mindset of my eldest relatives and am thinking that socks would be a wonderful Christmas gift.
I WANT SOCKS!
OK, I said it. You were right. Socks are the perfect gift, and underwear, too.
Good thing I got these Walmart gift cards.
Josh Drespling
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About Josh Drespling: Josh is a graphic designer at The News. His blog will appear each Sunday.
Discussion
Josh Drespling: Now, I understand the true joy of socks
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