Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Small matter, big shame



Small matter, big shame
“Journalists have certain attention to details. They took out their Smartphones and tried to shoot a photo of my embarrassing feet. Not that my feet smelled or the socks were torn.
BY MUSYOKA NGUI
Last Tuesday I reported to the work with a dissimilar pair of socks. I went about my duties as usual. Since the offices were undergoing renovation my colleagues and I chose to sit outside the office with our laptops and edited our work form there before sending it to the chief editor.
When I was done with my two daily pieces, I took out the current book I am reading The Trouble With Nigeria by Chinua Achebe. I crossed my legs before being fatigued and finally chose to rest by right leg on my left knee, striking a posture that revealed to other journalists sitting around me that I wore a white sock on the left foot and a blue one on the right. 
Journalists have certain attention to details. They took out their Smartphones and tried to shoot a photo of my embarrassing feet. Not that my feet smelled or the socks were torn. Far from it. I just woke up and hurriedly wore them. You see on the upper parts both of the socks have stripes which caught my eyes and assured me that they are like pair. They did not buy my argument despite demonstrating to them that it was not a deliberate move to seek attention. It was a mistake, a small mistake that caused big shame.
Luckily, trust men to run to the rescue of their type in need. My colleague, Abel, rubbished those threatening to upload my feet photos on the social media by telling them off that even Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero was spotted on TV in torn socks. Mind you mine were not torn even. The good old Minister for Transport John Michuki (God bless his soul), too was caught on camera having similar predicament as Kidero.
People start asking where the wives and girlfriends of such men were when the men wore dissimilar socks. In my case I was asked where my girlfriend was. Instantly, the lady journalists around went green with envy as if I had dashed their expectations. Anyway, I exonerated my girl the blame because we have not moved in yet and even if we had, I will be the one to blame since I dress my feet.
It is unfair to apportion blame on women when men have wardrobe malfunctions. They are human beings after all and they are not expected to be all seeing. As for us men, we need to learn to pair our socks once we clean them so that we do not risk embarrassing ourselves and our dear ones when caught.
I do not think that it is even right for a man to be giving his spouse underwears to wash. You know they are laden with sweat, dust and germs. Does it amount to slavery when a man wears boxers or a pair of socks and hands them to his lady to wash? Come on, such small pieces of clothes can be washed in the bathroom passively as you clean your body.
Then those living with smelly feet please spare the public the oduor by not removing your shoes in public spaces. Socks are so cheap. Do not recycle them. Wearing one pair once will promote hygiene and spare your significant other the reprimanding disapproval-as if she was the one wearing them- the world cannot get more unfair. Better still, seek medical attention. Trust me, it is treatable.

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