American Heart and Sole
In class this week, we read a piece called 'The Partly Cloudy Patriot'. It followed the casual thoughts of Sarah Vowell, and were a collection of her musings on patriotism, society, and the sense national unity that surrounded the aftermath of 9/11. She wrote of how the meaning of the American flag had changed-- the days following the attack, the flag was a symbol of pure American grief over those lost, but also a mark of the togetherness that connected the nation. Even after we had finished discussing the piece, it sparked a train of thought of what else had the power to connect the masses. The most obvious things came to mind first; the Internet, everyone's immeasurable need for companionship, and sports (not for all of us, because I still don't understand football). But there are also things that are hidden directly in plain sight. We all own socks. That's right. Whether they're no-shows or knee highs, dress socks or patterned, all socks serve a particular ...