The sock decision

Never give up, even on socks
I used a fork to transfer the chicken from the grill to the plate before grabbing the plate, the container the uncooked chicken was in, and my water bottle—yes, a water bottle. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to fire up the grill without having one hand occupied by a beer bottle. Oh, I also grabbed the elongated tongs that had been hanging on the grill for six months. I’m not sure why.
Later in the evening, I washed clothes and dishes and was trying to get my house in order. It’s been a mess for a while but has steadily gotten more inhabitable in recent weeks.
Since on or about December 22, I’ve lost 15 pounds and don’t know when I’ve felt so good. I’ve eaten much, much healthier and have all but cut out my alcohol intake. I haven’t quit, so if you see me out and about with a beer in my hand, it’s ok. I’ve had a couple of beers here and there; however, there was one night, just last week, that I had way too many, but hopefully a lesson was learned from that experience. I didn’t plan on that happening, but it did. I had the choice of being upset with myself or learning from my mistake. I chose the latter.
I pulled my clothes out of the dryer, including jeans that I haven’t been able to wear in over a year, and threw them on top of the washer and dryer to fold. When I did, one of my socks went over the back of the dryer. I stood there for a few seconds wondering what to do. Should I make an attempt to retrieve the sock or do I just chalk it up as another sock lost to the mysterious sock monster? I went with the former and went after my sock. I’ve never let an obstacle stand in my way of doing what I needed to get done.
I try not to give up on socks or anything for that matter. A few years ago, I bought a very nice pair of argyle socks from Jos. A. Bank. I wore them one time and washed them. One came out smelling mountain fresh, while the other went missing in action. Years later, I’m still looking for that sock. I’m sure it’s stuck inside a shirt or something. I won’t ever give up on finding that thing. There may even be a picture of it on the back of your milk carton.
I tried to wedge myself between the wall and the dryer to grab the sock but was coming up about eight inches short. I looked around to see what I could use. I saw nothing. I then remembered the clean dishes and utensils in the dishwasher, so I opened it up and grabbed the tongs that I finally brought in for some strange reason. Just a few seconds later, I had my sock.
I brought those tongs in for a reason. Everything happens for a reason, but that doesn’t mean we just sit back and let things play out to chance. Whether it’s good or bad, we have to make good and timely decisions and be actively involved in all aspects of our lives, and when we do, we have a much better chance of living a joyful and productive life, which include matching socks.
Oh, if you happen to see that sock monster sporting one blue argyle sock, please let me know. I’ll handle it. He and I have a history.
Jody Fuller is from Opelika. He is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com. For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com.