When I am old.........

[Sunshine]

Warning
by Jenny Joseph

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Taken from the book
When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
Editd by Sandra Martz
Papier Mache Press--Watsonville, California 1987

When I'm an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

*Note to self: Buy some single malt - better than brandy!

 

[Mad Scientist]

I was listening to a radio broadcast a few weeks ago and the guest was talking about doing something and wearing Purple so the host asked her "What's the significance of the color Purple?" and she said: "I'm Gay".

Host: "Oh I didn't know Purple was a Gay thing".
Her: "Of course you wouldn't know, you're not Gay".

 

[boedicca]

It's not just a gay thing.

There is a group called the Red Hat Society for women over 50 who just want to have fun. They wear Red Hats and Purple Outfits. I've run into groups of them at events such as Beach Blanket Babylon.

"The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and elan. We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next."

How It Started | Red Hat Society