Henry Ford allegedly said that you could have the Model T in any color you want, as long as it’s black. While I have long laughed at that statement, I have recently become aware of the elegance and simplicity of it. And it’s all because of my socks.
For years, I have worn only three colors of pants: black, navy blue, and gray. As a result, I have been buying only three colors of socks. Pretty simple, right?
The problem occurs when I sort my socks after they have been laundered. The gray socks are easy to pick out, but it’s nearly impossible to tell the black socks from the navy blue socks unless I sort them under a strong light.
It occurred to me recently that all of my shoes are black. So I really could wear black socks with my navy blue pants and it would be just fine.
Occasionally I put on blue socks because I think I’m going to wear blue pants, but then I change my mind and wear black pants. I walk around all day wearing navy blue socks with black pants, and guess what? Nobody notices! The truth is, nobody really cares about my socks.
From this point forward, I am only going to buy black socks. And on laundry day, I will thank Henry Ford for setting me on the path to simplicity.
What are some of the ways in which you have been complicating your life?
