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It's hard to see with that feather boa getting in the way, but she has a purple bell body, a red feather boa and a red hat. When we saw her, we knew she was just too fabulous to pass up. We didn't know it at the time, but she belongs to the Red Hat Society. There is great poem by Jenny Joseph titled "Warning" which begins, "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple / With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me." This prompted a woman in California to give a few friends red hats for their birthdays, and then in 1998 the Red Hat Society was formed, which is a social club for women. Now that I know they're a thing, I've seen a group of them once or twice out having lunch at a restaurant or something like that. The poem is about how when she is older, she will be able to do unconventional things and "make up for the sobriety of my youth." So now, when I see our Red Hat Lady, I think a little bit about small acts of rebellion against society's expectations for good behavior.
1 comment:
I've heard of the Red Hat Society! When I was pregnant with Ada, an old neighbor made me a purple quilt with red hats all over it. An interesting choice for a baby blanket, but I am now aware of this society.
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