New Socks and Old Friends

New socks are not always predictable. I am a little too sock fussy; no seams, not too thick, plain with no foo-foo. He Who Must Be Obeyed surprised me with a whole bunch of new socks in black, white and navy blue. They are perfect. I am amazed, as he is not much for either surprises or presents. I was pleased with the socks and his thoughtfulness.

When I was a young(ish) woman and I used the term 'old friends' it meant friends my own age that I have had since I was a school kid. Now that term has taken on several meanings. It might be new acquaintances my own age, and they might be old acquaintences the same age as I am, or it could be people I know older than myself by ten years. You just can't tell exactly what an old friend is anymore.

This past weekend we went to Wichita to a graduation party for two grandchildren. The party was perfection. The outdoor graduation was comfortable, the gift opening and card reading was touching. We have a nurse who will work in Pediatric Intensive Care. That is serious nursing duty. The high school grad is like the rest of us trying to sort life out. For some of us it takes longer than for those who know right off what life is all about and how they fit into the big picture.

I am still church conflicted, pain challenged, and startled that I have been wrong more than right all along. I can't figure it all out but I have discovered what I thought was right, wasn't. It felt better thinking I was right though, than knowing that I wasn't.

Another truth came to me on our drive to Wichita. We have to stop and walk around after a few hours on the road and we pulled off the highway about a block and walked through a "flea market" in a small Kansas town. I have nothing to complain about. I should be thankful for lumpy socks. This handfull of folks with their caged animals and small assorted nic-naks on tables were so poor, that my heart went out to them. Both of us felt bad that we didn't peel off a few bills for each of them and tell them to keep their bunnies, chickens, doves, kittens, and guinea pigs.

I don't know why it is that in the middle of a friendly conversatin about how to raise doves, one feels awkward about giving poor people money. It somehow seemed rude to offer money without taking the little critter being sold. Even poor people have lots of pride. They are friendly to a fault.

I could have sat in the dirt with any of them and made a friend. It was obvious that a little dirt did not put any of them off. You have to carry a dove around a long time to tame it. You only put it down if you have to go out of the house "for one thing or the other." No mention of going out to school or work, however. I can get judgemental a bit too quickly.

Perhaps the need for friendship is as immediate as the need for money. I just hate it when I think about the money I didn't hand out. We could have turned the animals loose maybe. One sweet woman in her thirties or forties handed me a little kitten, so sick it was almost limp. It is free she said. I bet there was a lot of undiagnosed illness among that little group near the 4H barns with their cages and tables. There was also a lot of friendship between the cages of crowing roosters and pregnant bunnies.