February 4 - On Wearing Purple

A favorite, festive quilt from "The Art of Fiber," an annual exhibit at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

By Magdalena I. García

It’s been a month since I started doing daily postings instead of weekly entries on this blog. I have done journaling for years and, in a way, blogging is sort of public journaling. Except, of course, that the writing is not as intimate, and when you don’t write in your journal for days nobody knows about it. Actually, it’s not much different, because I don’t think anyone notices whether I blog or not!

Regardless, a whole month of daily posts is quite an accomplishment, even if my brother sent back an “LOL” message when found out that I’m a blogger. Isn’t it wonderful to surprise people—even your own brother—at the ripe old age of 50 plus by doing things that seem completely out of character?

Years ago I read the poem “Warning,” by Jenny Joseph. Allow me to reproduce it here as a blog anniversary gift:

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.

A minister’s wardrobe has way too much black in it, so I’m delighted to be able to wear a little purple now and then. In fact, I think I’m ready to join the Red Hat Society. Wardrobe contributions accepted here!