Sooner or Later

It had to happen. Eventually. We all believe it can never happen to us, and then wham! out of the blue, there it is. We all know someone who’s gone through it before us, and yet, we still feel insulated, safe from harm. We’ve even been warned by those who have gone before us, but we still don’t want to believe it. It just goes to show you can never let your guard down, not for a minute.
I know, I know – you’re all wondering what the heck I’m talking about. I have been a Knitter for over 3 years now, and it never occurred to me that this might happen. But Tuesday night, when I got together with the original Springfield Knitter Girls, there it was. I was happily knitting along on the back of my CPH, forgetting my cable row, ripping back and reknitting, and not caring because we were all there together. I was doing the knitter’s happy dance in my mind, and maybe a little in my feet, happily ensconced in my favorite Monkey socks made from Dream in Color Smooshy in Chinatown Apple, safely tucked in my copycat Crocs. Then – WHAM!
There it was. It registered in my mind that my left big toe was a little too cool for school. The happy dance abruptly halted as I, for no apparent reason to the others, shuddered and gasped, “Oh, no!”
A hole. In my favorite handknit socks.

Did I mention they were my favorites?
It’s not like I can’t try to fix it, or even knit another identical pair. But it won’t be the same. I feel older now, and none the wiser – it’s like innocence lost, and I can never get it back.