The People’s Party

I still can’t believe that I missed the People’s Party. I walked back to the Sheraton Lugging my HUGE Swag Bag back to my room after attending the Social Luxe Party. On the way back I had a funny encounter on the bridge. Three officers were standing around speaking to some young woman. Here I am all dressed up and in high heels lugging this huge bag.

One of the officers said, “That’s a big bag.” I knew he was talking about the Swag Bag but I thought I’d poke some “old lady” fun his way.

I looked at him with my best “annoyed look” and said, “I can’t believe you just called me a big bag.” One of his fellow officers was trying hard not to crack a smile as he said, “No. No he was just getting ready to offer to help you lug that big bag back to your car weren’t you?” The first officer said, “Yes. Yes that’s just what I was getting ready to say. I was just getting ready to ask if you needed help with that.”

I was going to carry the joke a little further by saying, “Oh so you think I’m too out of shape and old to carry such a heavy thing?” I thought better of it though and just said, “That’s OK. I’m fine. I don’t have much further to go.”

Being 50 (well almost) is very liberating. People will expect you to have peccadilloes and idiosyncrasies. While some of my contemporaries still spend hours fussing with their hair and make up. I am no longer a slave to fashion. While I have not yielded to the call of house dresses and Mom pants, I am no longer worried what label is on the back of my pants.

I read somewhere that being elderly in America is like being invisible. I’m not so certain that’s as bad as I once thought. As a teen you feel that all eyes are upon you. Each mistake, each fashion faux pas, is dissected and discussed. I have reached an age where I truly am my own person and realize that being me is not so bad at all.

I marched back to my room determined to document my trip to the Kraft Food Kitchens and my encounter close encounter of the Obama kind. I dumped my treasures on the bed and immediately began to write about all the fun I was already having. I also had to call my husband to tell him that I was doing OK. I think I totally let the time just rush past me and I wound up just crawling into my nice comfy Sheraton bed to just relax.

It wasn’t until the next day that I realized that I had totally forgotten the People’s Party and the Room 704 Party. I’m not certain what happened at these two events but I always feel there is a reason for everything that happens and even for things that don’t happen. I will sadly wear the crown of party pooper by missing these two parties. I was determined to make up for lost time the next day.