Mismatched

The craze today is to wear mismatched socks. Many times the socks will have patterns and colors that clash. I have friends living in North Carolina. Their sons seem to relish opportunities to display odd combinations of fabric footwear. This wasn’t the thrust of my thoughts. I was thinking about more accidental pairings.

One incident occurred while I was a student at Penn State. A couple of roommates were an odd couple. One often slept late while the other was an early riser. The early riser often dressed in the dark. This was a time when the dress boots were in style and had zippers up one side. He owned a pair of black boots and another in brown.  With my title, you can imagine what happened. Later in his room he  was still wearing the unmatched shoes he said, “I was sitting in class when I noticed my shoes, but there was nothing I could do.”

It was lunchtime and we said, “Let’s go to lunch.” He got up and started to leave the room. We asked, “Aren’t you going to change shoes?” He glanced down at his boots and replied, “Nah, I’ve worn them this long, a little more time won’t hurt.”

The second occasion that came to mind was when my wife Cindy and I were dating. We were on the swing at her parent’s house. Sitting there, I was studying her and noticed something odd, so I asked, “Did you get that top at Gabe’s?”

Gabriel Brothers is a store that sold items that were overstock or second’s. Sometimes the flaws were extremely noticeable while other times the flaws were subtle.

When Cindy replied, “Yes” she started to look herself over to see what I’d noticed. I told her to look at the sleeves. Each sleeve was puffed, white, with designs of the same color, but the design of one sleeve was sea shells, a seahorse, a starfish, and kelp. On the other sleeve the design of a butterfly, leaves, and grass pattern. Both designs were the size of a fifty cent piece, placed and in exactly the same spots and hues. I never saw her wear that top again.

What caused me to think of mismatched things was an orange hat my wife bought while in Steamboat Springs, Colorado as a gift for me. She was proud that she’d found a souvenir for me at a great price. Soon after she gave it to me I knew why. It had been a folded and in a window display. The cap’s bill and front was faded from the sun. It is a treasured memory and reminds me of her each time I wear it.