I think it started about six months ago, but I have only just realised it. In retrospect, I may have been suffering subconsciously.
It all started when I purchased a pack of seven pairs of black dress socks from Marks & Spencer. They all had coloured heels but individually had a particular day of the week woven in colour on the top of the toes. Once all pairs were taken out of the packaging, I felt this inner desire to ensure that I was wearing the correctly named socks on its given day.
I am beginning to think my behaviour is a consequence of my childhood. My mother insisted I wear clean pants every day in case I was involved in an accident. Dirty underwear was sign of lack of hygiene. Similarly, wearing Monday socks on a Friday would indicate a lack of temporal awareness, a lack of intelligence or, at the very least, a lack of attention to detail. Soon enough I wondered if the spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson was laughing at me. Emerson wrote that “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
Recently, and thankfully, I broke the pattern when I bought a five pack of black socks adorned with pictures of any one of a number of super-heroes: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, the Mighty Thor and Captain America. Now every day I’m back to wearing whatever socks I please. Except for Thursdays. I must wear my new Thor socks on Thor’s Day.
Maybe the monkey is not off my back.