My Pinksocks Story – I See You

‘The visceral response to “I see you” is to look into the ‘pinksocks portal’

I didn’t know what to expect when Nick Adkins invited me to meet him and some of his friends at a coffee shop in SE Portland. All I knew was they were all in the healthcare field in various capacities. Not sure how exactly I would fit in as a freelance medical writer specializing in continuing medical education writing, I was a bit nervous as I drove over the Burnside bridge to the other side of town. I walked in and met Sean Carey, Burt Rosen, Nate DiNiro along with Nick and within minutes I felt that the energy was one of cooperation, connection, and support. I was gifted my original pair of pinksocks (with black mustaches) and another pair of pinksocks (with a puzzle piece in addition to the black mustaches) to gift with the puzzle piece symbolizing the connection that I could already feel within that small group. At some point, Nick looked at me and said, “I see you” and my eyes just instantly filled with tears. He meant it, he said it with a sincerity that unfortunately in this busy world has become rarer to find. That was many years ago. Since then, I have watched Nick interact with countless people and every time he interacts with strangers who first look a bit dubious at the kilt and pinksocks wearing man with the infectious smile, I see them lose the layers of societal masks we all put on, and soon they are laughing and hugging.

Growing up in India, I had a fairly competitive, academically driven childhood; my Dad was a Professor at the prestigious Indian Institute of Sciences and the pressure to continue an academic path was intense. It was like being on a step machine at the gym—relentless, repetitive, and devoid of time to take a breath. As I continued on to graduate school in the United States and then a post-doctoral fellowship, I always felt the desire to know all living beings at a deeper level and to understand the intangible connection that I have always been drawn to. We all have a story that has brought us to this point in our lives and despite the equanimity we project to fit in with societal norms, at our essence all of us want to be heard, connect, and all of us thrive on kindness, love, empathy, inclusivity, and of course, hugs. As I have incorporated the essence of the pinksocks movement into my own life, the gifting of the vibrant pinksocks acts as an effective tool to bridge the gap between new people I meet and so many times there is a sharing of poignant life stories that are authentic and meaningful. As our nation struggles with overt and covert racism, this pinksocks community embraces ALL.

SO, when I take the time to gift the pinksocks, I love taking the time to hear the stories behind the tired eyes that light up, or the busy, cautious eyes that suddenly pause and transition from confusion to smiles—and that is the beautiful response to “I see you,” the pinksocks mantra, and the gift to ourselves–being part of a community that simply believes in doing and being good.