Wednesday 15 February 2012

Odd Socks ?

yeah write #46

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I always get those seven pair packs of socks at Christmas. Over the years, I’ve had ones with different coloured toes, ones with different coloured logos, ones with different coloured toes and logos. You get the picture.

This year, someone even thought it would be great to buy me ones with the days of the week on them – just incase at the age of 42, I’ve forgotten what they are called or even what day it is. Actually, come to think of it, I do sometimes forget what day it is …hmmm.

Here lies the problem. Before I had these socks, every morning I would randomly pick a pair from the drawer and not really care one jot whether they were the red toe ones, or the green  logo ones, or even the brown stripy ones – even if they are a bit awful. Now, I pick out a pair and as I go to put them on, the day of the week catches my eye. This is seriously starting to un-nerve me.

There is something just not right about putting Wednesday’s socks on when it’s Monday. Or Tuesday’s, when it’s Sunday. Something deep inside of me shouts NO, DON’T DO IT.  I have to spend the next few minutes opening every pair of socks out until I find the ones with today’s day on them.

Well at least I do up until a point and then reluctantly accept it doesn’t really matter. I reassure myself slowly, they are only socks for god sake man, pull yourself together. I then gradually, still feeling that bit uneasy move on to the rest of my apparel.

Conversely, this game of sock roulette also provides a major buzz when you actually choose the right day. Oh, what joy – it’s Friday and I’ve chosen Fridays socks – it’s like I’ve won the sock lottery or something. I mean what are the chances, seven days – probably fourteen pairs of socks in the drawer. (Gets fingers and toes out) Ah, but wait, what if all the days of the week socks aren’t in there because they are in the wash. That changes the odds dramatically. Shit I’m taking this too seriously and I cannot remember how to work out multiple probabilities anyway, Argggghhhh.

Anyway, this is no doubt a good example of the kind of OCD type behaviour that is considered ‘normal’. It bothers me, but I can cope with it (just). If I put myself in my son’s shoes (wanted to say socks there), it gives me a glimpse of why he becomes so ritualised about certain things or explains why he simply cannot cope with the type of compulsions he has. What makes me slightly uncomfortable for that brief moment, would continue to play on him, and get to him and drive him into a frenzy.

If it were him, the whole house would be turned upside down to find the right socks. Even to the point where if they were in the washing basket he may not even be able to go out that day. Thankfully, socks are not his issue, but his perception of cleanliness and germs can sometimes drive him to that place beyond coping, where a true obsessive-compulsive nature starts to affect your life significantly.

Me, I am wearing Wednesday’s socks today – and guess what – it’s Wednesday !
However, the question remains did I win the sock lottery today or turn my drawer upside down to find them ????

34 comments:

  1. Oh man, I now HAVE to buy Mr B thise socks and see what happens. Does that make me a bad wife?
    I have a wee bit of OCD too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just don't get ones with left and right on them - can you imagine ? ;-)

      Delete
  2. So now you can understand how traumatic it was for me as a little girl, with days of the week knickers ! Actually no it wasn't traumatic . . . . I've always been a rebel ;-) x x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Can you imagine pants and socks - I'd be there all morning ! - Knickers however, well ...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Stopping by from the Welcome to Weekend Blog Hop! http://queenofsavings.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, will be visiting others over the weekend

      Delete
  5. have popped by from the LAB showcase. i think that it must be really difficult for parents with autistic children to imagine what their child must experience on a daily basis and for them to be unable to communicate their feelings to you. i have read a few posts by other parents who have experienced a moment of clarity and seen into the world of their children - it's quite a moment from what i can gather. so thanks for sharing this post. ps is it a monday sock day today?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comments, and on its a grey logo day lol. Having written the post, I think I've been even more affected this last day or two, have to find something else to distract me lol !

      Delete
  6. Lots of OCD here: I have to check the house several times before leaving (is the iron unplugged etc) and as for my son.... Well socks are the least of it. He continuously worries about germs, bugs and catching cerebral palsy from his sister or anything she may have touched! Thanks for sharing on Love All Blogs x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for comments. Yes it can be a minefield ! - the cross contamination thing is one that really affected our lad for a while. Used to go bananas if you touched a bin and then something else without washing your hands.

      Delete
  7. My issues are food related mostly, I can't eat orange cheese, am uncomfortable about eating salt and vinegar crisps out of a blue packet and get quite upset if I decide on what I want for dinner and ten can't have it. I genuinely once went nuts at my husband for cooking chicken and pasta when I had planned for fajitas. He thought he was being nice by cooking dinner! I'm don't have autism or OCD these are just those little traits that make me me I guess. I used to teach in a special school for children with autism (before little h and his own difficulties came along) and I would try and remember how I fel over things like being given orange cheese in a sandwich when i wasn't expecting it. I realise my own misgivings about the colour of cheese are in no way comparable with the turmoil of emotions and anxiety felt at times by my pupils but it allowed me a little insight into their world somehow nag gave me a glimmer of understanding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for comments, the crisps thing is bizarre with me too funnily enough. Its the opposit for me though ! Its because for years Salt n Vinegar were always in blue packets - but then Walkers come along and put cheese and onion ones in blue packets - grrrr ;-)

      Delete
  8. Hahaha that seems like a huge pain..I guess it's better that the undies with days of the week on them? If you get caught wearing Friday's on Tuesday people are gonna think you haven't changed since before the weekend...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If i got caught wearing womens underwear, I'm not sure it would matter what day of the week they said ? lol

      thanks for visiting !

      Delete
  9. I would totally wear the wrong socks for the week because I'd think, but I don't want to wear the same socks every Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now, you could go totally random and actually make the pairs not match in the first place, so you could have wednesday on one foot and friday on the other. That would be even more freaky ;-)

      Delete
  10. Hahaha!!! Oh my goodness...my daughter got days-of-the-week socks for Christmas too. And she HAS to wear the right day ON the right day or she can't wear those socks.
    Your post cracked me up :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for your comments, it is a strange feeling. Maybe it should be a diagnostic test for borderline OCD. ;-)

      Delete
  11. Replies
    1. Now there's a solution ! ;-) ...step away from the socks

      Delete
  12. That would drive me crazy, too. Can you take a Sharpie to the days and color them out?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I tried getting my kids days of the week stuff once.
    And that says it all.
    "Once."
    (-:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah, definately a lesson learned, I should have taken them back to the shop for an exchange lol

      Delete
  14. I've tried to post this comment like ten times, but Blogger hates me tonight and keeps eating my comments. Sorry if this appears ten times after Blogger decides to like me again.

    Ha! I love it! Just think if it were day of the week underwear. What kind of hilarity would ensue then? :)

    I'd be obsessive about wearing the right socks on the right days of the week at first, but as I've done in the past about days of the week underwear, I eventually just forget about it and go with the "wear whatever I pull out of the drawer" flow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. its ok I only got one comment, ten would have been great though ;-) thanks. it does take your mind over

      Delete
  15. Oh this cracked me up. Because I bought (unknowingly) days of the week socks for my 1 year old. And there I went a searchin' every.single.day. because good Lord - my son COULD NEVER wear Friday's socks on a Monday! There was just too much wrong with that. Now a year later? Totally given up on the matching sock thing entirely. I actually don't remember the last time either of my son's wore matching socks. So...just to let you know...apparently you can get over that sock OCD thing. There IS hope.

    ReplyDelete
  16. My oldest has days of the week undies. Do you know how hard it is not to say anything when he comes down in Monday's undies on Thursday?? Luckily I've had a year to adjust, and I don't even twitch anymore. My husband on the other hand... :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. these items of clothing should come with a health warning ;-)

      Delete
  17. I wish I had clean socks. And while I'm dreaming, it would be nice if the 25 solo socks in the basket on my dryer would find mates. World peace might then be attainable.
    I find it admirable how you related the socks to your deep felt empathy for your son. Understanding and acceptance are the keys to world AND household peace. Not matching socks. Ellen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. very true, the sock thing should be kept in perspective ;-)

      Delete
  18. When I was a little girl I wanted the days of the week underwear SO BAD. Now, if I got those socks or underwear I would PURPOSELY wear the wrong ones.

    I'm a rebel like that.

    ReplyDelete