Several years ago, I joined the Red Hat Society. It’s an international group which was started in 1998 by Sue Ellen Cooper, who wanted her friends to continue having fun as they aged. I love the group of women in our chapter and I enjoyed the meetings I attended. I did not, however, embrace the concept of wearing a red hat. I barely managed to remember the meetings.

Just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I went to New Orleans for a few days with friends. I ended up spending time in the ER because of a particularly nasty kidney stone and I did not feel well while I was there. Wandering through the shops in the French Quarter, I was killing time when I spotted the cutest little red hat. It was called a Fascinator and clipped onto a head of hair in the perkiest manner! I was indeed fascinated! Needless to say, the mannequin wore it perfectly but when I tried it on, I felt like I had a teacup perched on my head. I bought it anyway. I truly believe that my pain pills were responsible for the purchase.

Zip my time line forward and I’m finally going to get to wear it for the first time. After two years of canceled meetings, we are having lunch together today and I intend to fascinate a lot of people as I parade around in my little red hat.

According to Wikipedia, the society’s events include tea parties and raising hell in local taverns. We’ve not done the latter activity, but who’s to say that I can’t convince them to take a few steps beyond normal and go for it? After all, if you can flaunt your purple and red, you can do anything.