Life Is Too Short To Just Wear Black

Life Is Too Short to Just Wear Black Socks

By Ken Riege USAF Veteran

TThis was told to me a few years ago by Vietnam War MOH Recipient Mr. Allen Lynch at an event that I attended with Hershey.

The story went like this (to the best of my knowledge):

It was a Friday evening and the banquet part of the event had finished where Mr. Lynch was the keynote speaker. Mr. Lynch spoke of being bullied as a child and why he joined the Army in 1964. Back at the hotel in the “Hospitality Suite” Mr. Lynch shared more stories of growing up and time spent in the Army. I had met him at different events, where I always presented him

Here I am with Mr. Allen Lynch Mr. Lynch showing off his socks.

with the proper military salute that a Medal of Honor Recipient has earned and telling him how much of an honor it is to see him again.

Somehow this visit was a bit different, because after I had rendered him with a salute, Mr. Lynch looked at me and said, “Hey Ken (I was so surprised that he knew my name until I realized I was still wearing my guest badge and Lanyard with my name on it) what color socks are you wearing? I kind of chuckled, but when he asked again, I said (in a military manner), “black socks sir.” He said let me see them. So, I pulled my pant leg up a bit so he could see my socks. He smiled and said (to all of us at the table) I would like to share a story with you. “A few years back, a dear friend had asked me this exact same question and I replied just as Ken did, by saying “black socks.” Mr. Lynch went on to say, that his friend had told him you know what Allen; life is too short to just wear black socks. So, Mr. Lynch decided from that day forward he would no longer wear ordinary black socks.

These are the socks I am wearing as I write this story.

Now Mr. Lynch went on to say that there is more to this story than just changing your socks. For him it started the wheels of life in motion from being such a strait-laced standoffish type of guy to being more engaged. He said this also helped prompt him to write his book “From Zero to Hero, from bullied kid to a warrior.” By the way this book can be found on Amazon.

So back to the title of the story, what does that mean, “Life is too short to just wear black socks.” Is that all there is to it, just change your style of socks and life becomes less boring. I am not so sure about that, maybe for some, but like Mr. Lynch said it is a start. I think that by saying life is too short to just wear black socks can be translated many ways. For me it means do not settle or become complacent in life, shake things up a bit and do stuff that no one would expect. Maybe it is wearing crazy socks, changing your hair style/color, or getting a tattoo for the first time or take it to the full extreme and go skydiving at the age of 92. I do not think anyone saw that one coming. Only you can decide on the changes you may or may not want to make to shake things up a bit.

There are so many different things we can do to make our lives a little more unpredictable. I know a few years ago I would have never worn a pair of Sesame Street Socks or ordered glasses off the internet, but if I can make small changes anyone can.

Maybe when this pandemic is behind us, and all is back at 100% (which by the time this story is printed we should be there) Gallup should have a crazy sock day. Why, because it is silly and because we can. We live in the greatest country in the world and have the freedom to do pretty much whatever we want within reason of course. I think that instead of saying “Why” we should say “Why Not.” Again, within reason.

I wanted to thank the Gallup Journey for allowing me to go outside of my box to write these stories to share which is something a few years ago I would have never been comfortable doing.

I would like to ask my fellow Gallupians a huge favor. It is reported that socks are the #1 item needed at homeless shelters. The next time you are at the store, grab a package of socks and drop them off at a homeless shelter, or maybe stop by the Gallup’s Veterans Helping Veterans Center at Ford Canyon Park and drop them off. They will ensure that these clean new socks get to people who need them the most.