The Power of Abe...Socks

When I was a kid I thought it would be so cool to have superhero underwear. Remember Underoos? I thought that would be so awesome to know you were wearing a super power shirt under your clothes.  Not only was it just cool as hell, I felt like it would give me an edge. Like maybe if I'd been wearing the Underoos I wouldn't have misspelled Wednesday in front of the whole class like I did in Mrs. Hutchinson's class that cold-ish day in 1983. Maybe. We'll never know because for some reason my mom never really believed in the power or coolness of Underoos and I never got any.

But a few weeks ago one of the best things that has ever happened to me happened and it involved a superhero of sorts, and the Internet and socks. A sock company sent an email that said this:

Dear Angela-

My name is Andrea and I found your blog through a Google search.

 I’ve been looking for someone to write a review of our 

women’s Abe Lincoln knee high socks and link back to our website. 

You’re a great, engaging writer and I enjoyed your mention of how fond you are 

of our former president. 

I will gladly send you a free pair of Lincoln socks in exchange for your review/mention. 

Please check them out: http://www.socksmith.com/lincoln-kh.html

Ahhhhhh!!!! How cool, right?!?

I was finally going to get my chance to wear a super hero under my clothes. Someone who fought for real change in society.  A real hero--not a reality star or a pro athlete or a comedian or satirist or made up guy who flies or spins webs. Someone who made an impact in the world, created real change. For me that hero is Abraham Lincoln.

I sort of stumbled into loving this hero of mine. This past summer on a road trip the kids begged me to stop when we saw a sign that said "Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln." Okay, actually I forced my kids to go with me. But I was fascinated that there was a museum celebrating our 16th President nestled in the mountains of Kentucky along with all the liquor stores and Baptist churches.

So we stopped and my fascination began. I started reading everything I could and watching biographies. I found ways to work facts about Abraham Lincoln anecdotes into almost every conversation/situation. Like when the kids and I went bowling, I said "you know who else liked to bowl?" The kids rolled their eyes and said "Abraham Lincoln" in annoyed unison. 

Abraham Lincoln was a poor, uneducated guy who wanted something more. He was a hard worker who wasn't perfect. He told great stories. He had great empathy. He was a loving father who believed in childhood. He wanted to see all the sides of a situation. He loved to make people laugh. He was prone to darkness and feeling a little too much. He was described as always looking a bit disheveled. He cared. He was deliberate. He was passionate. I truly believe the post Civil War America would have healed differently (and better!) if he had lived longer and that we would have felt the positive impacts from that time today. 

I literally could go on and on (and on) about Abraham Lincoln and defending Mary and the complexities of depression and ahhhh, there I go again. But this post is about socks. Why do I love wearing Abraham Lincoln socks? Because just like the old Bonnie Tyler song "I need a hero!"  Don't we all? Not just a hero, but someone that we can look to and learn from and feel inspired by. I like to think when I wear my socks that I feel even more compassion and empathy even if I sometimes still misspell Wednesday.



I wish I could give everyone a pair of Abraham Lincoln socks. If you want to get a pair, go to this website, SockSmith.com. These socks are soft an comfortable and yeah, inspiring.

While you are ordering, click on the song below and rock out.

(Click here to watch the video.)

I was given a pair of socks to do this review, but the thoughts and opinions are all mine, all original.

The Sock Basket

I can handle the big stuff.  At least that is what I tell people.  I also tell people that it is everyday life that I cannot handle.  Details, directions, meal planning, laundry, to-do lists, errands, bill paying, structuring, returning library books...they all do me in.  I end up running around like a crazy lady who hasn't brushed her hair and feeling like I am forgetting something or someone, all the time.

Proof of my "homeless chic" look that I sport after particularly long days with all of my children.

But when the shit hits the fan, as they say, I shine.  My mother gets her opiates messed up and ends up in the hospital, I am your go-to girl.  My husband's job is in limbo and we're not sure what the future holds, suddenly I am a half-full type of cheerleader and supporter.  

Even though I feel like everyday life has driven me to madness, I am exagarrating a bit.  It really has just driven me to be very unorganized and look like I am laid back.  It may seem like I don't care that my hair is not brushed or that my socks don't match, and I am not sure if I do or not.

Today as I was suffering through my crunches in my exercise class, I looked up and discovered I was indeed wearing two different socks.

I laughed out loud.  Later, I did a little sock inventory and discovered I wasn't the only one in the family wearing mismatched socks.

The baby Wade displays his mismatched socks.

My son Peyton's painfully obvious mismatched socks.  Thank god he wasn't wearing shorts to school today.

Here's the thing, maybe I don't care.  I think it is funny.  Either I am more laid back than I think or I am so crazy I am laughing at anything. So here's my confession (I am about to get very real here):

Of course the baby has mismatched socks, because I gave up on folding socks together in the laundry.  I just throw all the little baby socks in the "sock basket" in his room.  Guess I consider him lucky that we remember to put socks on him in the first place.  Matching?  Well, that is just too much.

The handy Sock Basket.

Laid back? Not so much.  Adapting?  Yes.  Surrendering? Hell yes.

Even though the details get me down, I am a big picture kind of girl.  And I know that when it does hit the fan, it doesn't matter if your socks match.

"It's okay to wear two different socks" appears on a page that Wade tore out of one our favorite kids' books.  Maybe the baby was trying to tell me something, or not.  I framed it and hung it in his room.  Now it is going to serve as a sort of family mission statement.  It's okay, they are just socks.