Socks

I have never been one to be fashionable.  If you have doubts just ask my kids or my wife.  My wife at one time, talked about pulling a Marie Barone and getting rid of most of my clothes (or as the fashion conscious would say "wardrobe") in favor of items I guess would be more in style.  For years I would wear standard height socks my white, yes white, tennis shoes, with shorts.  I ended up catching some grief from the aforementioned persons to the point that gifts of the now long-in style low cut socks were provided to me. Of course, it took years of them being in style for me to wear them.  Low cut socks may be stylish, but they are far from practical.   In fact, they probably became fashionable from persons who have little effort to put in outside.

The culprit

For some reason I find my ankles to be rather vulnerable. Wearing long pants and regular height socks to work my ankles our covered for most of the week.  A few incidents recently occurred that prove the problem of the low cut socks.  What is surprising is that there are even lower cut socks than I wear.  The low cut socks I wear are below the ankle bone, but can be seen above the top of the tennis shoes.  Other options that are even lower cut.  Higher cut, standard height socks can better protect the lower part of the leg from injury and weeds.  It was a few weeks ago that I received a cut just above my ankle, and later found it to be infected.  I was then put on antibiotics to cure the infection.  Secondly, this last weekend I was working up in the back part of my yard which is more natural, pulling out some grape vine and other disturbing weeds and invasive species (think garlic mustard).  Moving through the area I kept pulling weeds.  After pulling weeds, I made my way to the garage to get to work on something else and my wife comes down to tell me that she noticed some poison ivy right where I had been.  I went in the house and washed my ankles, legs and hands with soap and water.  However, if I had normal height socks, the issue may never have arisen (although the oil from poison ivy can stay on clothes and be transferred from clothing), as my ankles would have been protected.  A third occurrence, on the same day as my tromp through poison ivy laced vegetation,  involved brush.  I gathered brush to take to the drop off site (along with the pulled weeds for composting).  To get the brush to fit in the vehicle I needed to cut it up more, and stomp on it to reduce its mass.  This work can also do a number on the ankles.  Fortunately, scratches were kept to a minimum.  Finally, there are mosquito bites.  For some reason, perhaps the tenderness (i.e.vulnerability) of ankle skin they are quite bothersome when on the ankle. 

Yes, ankle protecting socks

Of course, one would say I should dress appropriately for the work.  The problem is I had generally planned to relax, but wanted to check flowers and vegetables I had planted to see if they needed to be watered, and that brought me to the weeds.  So, you guessed it, one thing led to another, and the next thing I am pulling weeds, gathering brush and getting mosquito bites.  To be properly prepared for the yard work, I now realize, I should have put on higher rise socks to cover the ankle. 

Reminds me of the 70's

Low rise socks are for show, not for yard work.  This may be more a commentary on contemporary life and fashion where yard work is now often a secondary consideration.  Fashion outdoes practicality.  The low rise socks may work well at a summer picnic or as one traverses a concrete jungle, but they do little to provide protection for work in the yard.  It is very easy for me to set fashion aside.  In fact, I could go back to wearing higher level socks, as that would fit my standard fashion method where I am well ahead of the fashion trends.  Many believe, as does my spouse, that I am well behind the times.  I find fashion to be cyclical in many respects and wearing white socks above the ankle will come back into style someday.  It is not if, but when.  I would be happy to start yet another trend by wearing white socks.  I will admit that I was late to the trend of low rise socks, so I might as well be the leader on a move back to high rise socks.