This morning it is COLD outside so while planning my attire for the day (black jeans, gray turtleneck, gray toned sweater jacket) I knew I needed socks so I could wear my cute gray suede boots. Opening the sock drawer, on top of the pile of black socks, were my new ‘Gold-Toe’ socks -- those are the dress socks with the distinctive gold thread at the toe. I had recently bought them on one of my weekend quick-trips to Target. I vividly recall that day - standing in the store, the only person in the sock aisle, burdened with a huge selection to choose from but once I saw the Gold-Toe brand my fingers were plucking them off the rack. In my world - Gold-Toe means Granddaddy!
Growing up my friends and I were not ‘name brand’ conscious nor did we have a store on every corner to choose our favorite outfits. If we shopped in Rockwall we were limited to Falls Family Shoe Store, Smith Dry Goods, and Hermoines. Lucky for me my Grandmama and Mama liked to head to Dallas on regular occasion where we shopped the malls - Big Town in the early 60s then about 1965 our favorite was Northpark. Several times throughout the year we would head to Dallas for a little shopping – the evening itinerary would be to leave Rockwall about 5pm (Mama driving with Grandmama in the front seat and my brother and I in the back seat), drive to Medallion Center to eat at El Chico or Zuider Zee, then to Northpark where we parked in the Titche’s (aka Titche-Goettinger) lot, and entered the store. At some point we would make a path to the men’s department to buy Granddaddy a new pair of Gold-Toe socks.
As far as I was, and am concerned my Granddaddy could have ‘walked-on water’ but if I visualize that picture he would be wearing a white button-down shirt with a soft blue stripe running through it and a pocket-protector filled with ballpoint pens and small screwdrivers in the chest pocket, dark slacks with an ample amount of coins in the right pocket, and Gold-Toe socks (no shoes). Granddaddy was the epitome of a man who wore Gold-Toe socks: natural strength (just like Gold Toe - the most durable toe in the sock market) and unique!
Open your sock drawer – see any Gold-Toe? If yes, then YAY for you! Hold on to your natural strength and always strive to be unique!
PS. Mama and I still head to Northpark on occasion and always at Christmas. Titche’s is no longer there but we still find a few places to spend our money!
