kate taylor

Joy of Socks
September 3, 2003


"Hey! Do you know what day it is?" my husband, Warren, asked as we were
getting ready for bed.

"Laundry Day?"

"No!" he said, "It's our wedding anniversary!" "Oh honey" I replied,
kissing his cheek "Thank you so much for six of the best years of my life."

He looked a little confused. "But, we've been married for 25." I just
smiled and said, "I know."

As I reached over to turn out the light, I started thinking about the
evolution of our marriage and how the decades have affected my husband.

We met and married when Warren was in his 20's. This was the decade b.c.
(before children). We were alone and could do what we liked, whenever we
liked and liked it.

During this time, Warren remembered things. Like, how to take out the
garbage and that ice trays should be full, not empty. We both worked and we
both shared the household duties. I was in charge of the laundry. He
sorted the socks. Things were good.

In his 30's, things changed. And changed. And changed. Diapers are like
that in the a.c. (after children) years. It was during this time, that
Warren turned briefly metaphysical.

"Never take out the trash until it becomes one with the fruit flies."

"Ice trays have a yin and yang, are they half full or half empty?"

I was still in charge of the laundry, but the meaning of sock sorting
changed... "Honey, don't you want to come upstairs and sort my socks?"

And that's how Warren became the father of three. Had a vasectomy. Became
the father of four. Had another vasectomy. Then bragged to all his friends
that he was just too much of a manly man to let a little surgery stand in
the way of his procreation! When his friends asked, "What's it like having
two vasectomies?" He just laughed and said, "Well, after the first one it
was okay. But, after the second one... well... I don't know. Every once in
a while, after sock sorting, I have this incredible urge to blow my nose."

When Warren reached his 40's everything started to fall apart. The ice
trays were leaky, the garbage can collapsed and the washer ate most of his
socks!

It was during this time that Warren developed his handyman skills. He'd
take bits and pieces of things that didn't work and put them together with
bits and pieces of other things that didn't work and make a whole new thing
that didn't work. Life was like a roll of duct tape. You never knew where
you'd need it next!

And now, the 50's are upon us. Warren recently discovered that he's on the
AARP mailing list. Which, of course, makes him think he's old. Too old to
take out the garbage, too rickety to fill the ice trays and almost too old
to sort socks. And lately, he seems to be suffering from short term memory
loss.

The other night after a bit of sock drawer reorganization I asked him
"Honey, was it good for you?" He stared at me for a while and finally said,
"Was what good?"

I'm not sure what the next 25 years will bring. It certainly won't be
boring. I just hope we're able to remember it!

www.kathrynrosetaylor.com


Copyright 2003 Kathryn Rose Taylor
Protected by US and international copyright law

tony miller

<Snip>

Poor guy.

-Tony

--
"If the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence, it's time
to fertilize your lawn!"
Want to jump start your marriage? Consider a Marriage Encounter weekend.
Check out http://www.wwme.org for more information.

james and karen stewart

I had a huge laugh at your e-mail..... I feel the same some days...I am
not quite sure why Warren wanted to blow his nose after sorting socks...but
it was a good laugh.... I am into my 6th year of marriage and I can see
where we are headed....... my DH fixes things now... he doesn't make a new
broken thing out of old broken things..he is actually very handy in that
department !!!!
I was thinking of sending him for a vasectomy, not sure if he wants to have
two of them though.... but I have got to get rid of this IUD.

Anyhow...thanks for the laughs....hope you enjoy your next 25 years.
Karen