if you haven't figured it out yet, i am very idiosyncratic in many aspects of my life. i have particular ways of doing things, and at times these behaviors may seem obsessive/compulsive.

for well over a year, i kept a laundry basket for clean clothes, and a laundry basket for dirty clothes. should cross-contamination ever occur, the clean basket would get shelved with the other filthy laundry receptacles, and off i'd go to target to get another 'clean' one.

just yesterday, when doing laundry, the issue of my socks came up. i have what i think are very good reasons for doing what i do with my socks, but those reasons may come off as a sign of insanity to others.

that said, i don't think i am as alone on the two subjects i am about to mention as some may think. let me know if you're with me on any of this, and if not, maybe i'll consider seeking out some professional treatment.

how many of you know what a 'quitter' is, when referring to a sock? it's a sock whose elastic just isn't making the grade anymore, and quits keeping it's natural height above your ankle. so, it's a 'quitter.' it's natural for a sock to become a quitter due to normal wear and tear, but balling your socks inside one another puts undue stress on the elastic, causing it to quit much earlier than necessary.

so it becomes a premature quitter. it didn't live it's full life as a sock. it's now trash, a rag, or a dog toy when it should still be living it up as a sock, sharing the love with your shoe, foot, and ankle. but it was forced to be a quitter too soon. that's why i take great care in folding my socks in pairs, preseving the precious elasticity that each one possesses.

the other issue is that i have left and right socks. when i put my socks on, i survey the curve at the toe of each sock to see if it's a lefty or a righty. after one wear, it's shaped one direction or another, and should not change for the rest of the sock's life [until it becomes a quitter].

if i try to change direction, i get the extra material that has been stretched by my big toe bunching up over my little toes. and nobody likes that. it's like walking around with a couple crumpled up tissues in your shoes.

at one time in my life, i would number my socks with a sharpie, so that the pairs wouldn't get mismatched. i wanted #1 left to be with #1 right. it got to the point where my mom and sister would fold my laundry, and play 'Go Fish' with my socks.

'do you have a 7?' one would ask.

'yes, what about a 4?' the other would reply.

much hilarity ensued.

but those days have passed. i'm on my own now, i've put the sharpie away and pair up my own socks these days.

and i think my socks thank me for it.

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SOCKS...A SOURCE OF STRESS