Sock Smuggling

Names will be changed in this post to protect those involved in the smuggling ring.  This post is dedicated to my friends Kat, Emma and Andrea. I love you guys.

It all started out with a post from Michelle Ward, leader of the Crusades encouraging artists to collect socks for the people of Japan.  And since it didn't make much sense for me to send socks to Michelle in the US, I thought I'd take it upon myself to do a little collection here locally and send a small parcel to Japan directly.

To make a long story short, the first person I went to with my grand vision tore the idea apart.  By the time she was done with me, I was a shaken frustrated mess.  This is one of those things that start out one way but melts into a big dramatic pile of something else.  And when I relayed the story to my German hubby he informed me that in Germany if you are going to take up any kind of collection you need to go register officially with the courthouse for permission and get some kind of allowance to be able to give people receipts for the donations they make.  Really Germany?  How nice.  But c'mon, go tell that to Japan.

It's not that I couldn't go through the motions and go about this correctly.  It's that after nearly five years of living here I'm so exhausted from the all the relentless effort.  Every single thing I try to do here leaves me feeling like I'm out matched.  As if I'm Rocky Balboa in the 8th round.  Saliva pouring from my swollen mouth, but nevertheless clinging to the ropes refusing to lay down on the mat. 

So when I met my girlfriends at a cafe for lunch and started explaining my sock predicament to them I completely lost it.  Tears streaming down my face, red-blotchy nose complete with snot candlesticks.  It had nothing to do with Japan or socks anymore, I had just reached the pinnacle of pain from my ideas and efforts not coming to fruition.  It was a full blown foreign flip out.

Now Jemma happens to be Irish, and she rushed in immediately offering to go to the courthouse and the Governor himself.  It was so awesome and sweet, my tears turned to laughter which seemed to make the Italian waiter a bit nervous.  Then Pat, my other English girlfriend who'd just presented me with a tassle-embellished jumbo Deutsch-Mark price stamper said she'd go buy socks for the collection as well.  They got me through my melt-down and got hope back in my heart.

And the outcome? Check out what came in the mail! Complete with an envelope full of cash from Pat's friend, a German insider we'll refer to as "Hombre" and decorated with a sticker saying, "I love socks!" 

I hunted down Ziploc Zipper baggies which in itself could be it's own blog post, and cracked out a slew of Japanese ATC love.  I stamped those cards with so much gusto you'd think I was trying to single handedly reverse the effects of the tsunami by myself.  I would if I could.  Instead I just switched up to orange cards with embossed purple cows for the kids socks.  Studio Mailbox, thanks to the help of a small but determined foreign smuggling ring, contributed 30 pair of socks.  A small gesture but with big heart.

For anybody interested in the Sock for Japan project, here is their website as well as the Socks for Japan facebook page.  It's looks like they're ramping down and that the last day for shipping socks is May 16.

Comments

[michelle ward]

omg - who knew that an act of good will could be such a hassle? love to hear your humor about it and glad it brought determination after the frustrated tears. here's to good friends who raise us up, and to making it happen. bravo!

[Anne]

It's so sweet of you to put that together. Our area just went through the biggest natural disaster in our state's history (tornadoes). Obviously, in the US, you don't have to register to collect donations, BUT, what I am finding out is that it is harder to be certain that your donations are going to the truly needy people. Maybe it is because anyone whose house wasn't demolished is out giving and volunteering. In the first few days, volunteers have been turned away because there are so many.

I'm hoping your cozy socks bring smiles to the Japanese victims. ps Did you know that a city next to us was the sock capital of the world?

[Sarah]

so you're not even allowed to informally ask your friends for some socks without red tape???

or is it only if you want to canvass strangers?

I do love Germany, and Germans, but they do love their rules and regs :)

[TJ]

Michelle - thanks for your kind words. You are the sock Queen, I'm just a worker bee!

Anne - I was sorry to hear about those twisters. Sounds horrible! Sock capital? That sounds stinky... ;)

Sarah - I don't think we did anything actually illegal, as we just did a small private collection. The rules come into play when you start going up and down your street. Apparently you need to be able to provide a proper receipt if asked!

[Linda]

awe.... heart rending post with a beautiful, socky ending. Hugs!

[achan]

Your will amazes me. I can understand your frustrations with the German bureaucracy, I live in Japan and often find myself saying why? Logic just isn't there sometimes and it is very difficult to go against the flow. My husband also isn't willing to break the rules even if the rules are obviously hampering a needy cause.

Thankyou for not giving up and thankyou to your friends for encouraging you, the people of Tohoku will really appreciate your efforts.

[QuinnCreative]

You are my hero! Civil disobedience in the service of socks! The German poet Goethe said, "Die schwere Arbeit ist nich immer mit Erfolg gekroennt," which means, "Hard work is not always crowned with success," or, more colloquially, "You can't win 'em all." Goethe probably had to schlep down to city hall to register each poem. But you, you genius, you keep moving along, keep finding a way to do your creative work! YES! You get the tiara of retribution today!

[Veronika]

This is absolutely brilliant, well done TJ, I know this will make our friends in Japan smile with happiness, awesome project :)

[Fiona]

Ah Germany! Sometimes it confuses efficiency for awkwardness. But still, good for you. You're doing a great thing by not giving up when things are against you. xx

[lee]

hey TJ how nice are you, good for you and your great friends.

[DJ]

Big Sassy American Hug for you, Girlfriend!
:-)