Yes. It’s true. I wear Argyle socks nearly all of the time, even with shorts. I am not ashamed of this fact. I have done so for nearly 20 years and I am not about to change the habit any time soon.

It interests me to know end that people think this habit of mine odd, even “dorky” as I have recently been told. What this really tells me is that it is not what the “average” person does. Now please don’t get me wrong, by that statement I am not in the slightest claiming to be “above average” in any way, shape or form. Instead, what I am saying is that many people find my choice of socks odd to say the least.

I find this odd. Why not wear socks that, at least to a small degree, compliment (or is that complement) the rest of your outfit? After all, we wear clothes, not just to cover our nakedness, but to be noticed, right? When we’re completely honest, we must admit that even our most “tasteful” clothing is designed to draw attention. Even “understated” outfits are still making a statement. They’re just making it a bit quieter. But it’s still loud and clear.

Some of you will certainly cry foul here and say that I am making a mountain out of a molehill here. You are certainly entitled to your opinion (even though you’re wrong). However, I think the real issue here is that we are often made uncomfortable by people who do not find their approval in other people. Again, just for clarification’s sake, I’m not really putting myself in that category, just noting that such category exists. Every once in a while, we meet people who are so unmoved by peer pressure that it creates in us a disquiet; an uneasiness. Who knew Argyle socks with shorts could create such meditations, right?

The comments I get when I wear Argyle socks with shorts (and believe me, I do get comments) remind me that it is not ultimately man that I am to fear. As Jesus Himself reminds me (and you) in Matthew 10:28, I should not “not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

If i seems that my sock choice makes people sometimes uncomfortable, I wonder if its not because those people would never wear such a fashion choice. This, of course, leads me to wonder why they would not wear such a thing. It is certainly possible that my choices are simply universal bad taste, but is it not also possible that my socks reveal a weakness of soul in others? Is it not possible that my choice of socks reminds people that our ultimate judge is not man but God?

Then again there’s the possibility that I’m just looking to defend my socks.

Read When People Are Big and God is Small by Edward T. Welch