I had a little fun today after Sunday School. I talked with Eileen. I asked her about an organization she belongs to. The idea for this organization for women was sparked by a poem:
Warning
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 sandlas, 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 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.
–Jenny Joseph
This poem inspired the birth of the Red Hat Society. It offers light-heartedness and fun for women who have crossed over to the golden age of 50. When they attend an event they must wear a bright red hat and purple attire. When they meet together they always do fun things like have tea parties, go swimming, or even volunteer. The organization allows for younger women to join but they are only allowed to wear a pink hat and a lavendar apearal. They will be finally allowed to wear the notorious bright and flambouyant colors only after they go through a hat-uation ceremony after 50!
It was founded by a lady named Sue Ellen Cooper. The society is all across America and other countries. They even have national conventions. The organization which proudly claims to have only a few rules began so that older women will be encouraged to have fun every day of life. The cost to join is only $20. Personally, as a woman of 40 this gives me hope and less dread for that day when I hit the milestone of 50.