Sock Snippets

Overheard in the newsroom, among the talented, smart, young people who have recently joined us...

COPY EDITOR 1: I found a gray hair once.
COPY EDITOR 2: No way.
ME: I don't want to hear it from either of you!
BOTH: *laughter)
COPY EDITOR 1: Seriously! I found this gray hair while I was working at (other newspaper) and I thought, "What have you done to me?"
ME: Welcome to journalism.
BOTH: *laughter*
COPY EDITOR 1: I knew she would say something.
ME: Please. I have socks older than the both of you.

As evidenced by the gentle streaks of silver growing at my temples...

The sock line is absolutely true. I have two pair of black socks remaining from the set I bought when I was hired at McDonald's in 1992. They aren't in the best of shape, but they have survived. Our wonderful young copy editors were born in 1993 and 1994 respectively, as I discovered when I was showing them the darkroom, that museum relic from an earlier age of less convenience and smelly chemicals.

And I had me a little flashback at the same time, as I remembered the exact same line fired at me from Jayne Matthews, may she rest in peace. Jayne was an acerbic older reporter who came from the 1970s era and let no one get in the way of her steamroller of stories - she was from Tennessee and a long line of old country talkers.

Jayne sat across the aisle from my cubicle from the time I was hired at Ye Olde Newspaper until her retirement, and I remember she used to say the same thing: "I have socks older than you." It may have been true for her as well, or it may have been Jayne hyperbole, which would not be a stretch.

The wheel keeps on turning....

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