A Beautiful Encounter - In the Bathroom?
Sometimes the best moments happen in the weirdest places...
Hi I’m Sarah and I am a Deadhead, seen above about age 15-16 with my late Grandma Dorothy, who was not a fan of my cut-off shorts and Grateful Dead shirts.
Yesterday, H and I went to see Dark Star Orchestra at the Stony Creek Brewery in Branford. It was a beautiful day, not as hot and humid as it has been recently, and there was a pleasant breeze coming off the water.
The people watching was excellent. I was having fun pointing out people and saying who they reminded me of from high school and college.
My new shero is this lady, who managed to drink, dance, and knit at the same time, exhibiting a level of coordination to which I can only aspire. Totally badass.
I also admired the balance and core strength of this guy, who managed to groove out on a paddle board. Seriously, I would have been in the drink in no time, especially while playing air guitar with the paddle!
But one of the more magical moments came in the bathroom. I was washing my hands next to another silver-haired woman, and we got to talking. She told me she was sixty, and I said, “I’m sixty, too!”
We exchanged compliments about how great we both looked, and I suggested we take a picture together, despite the less than gorgeous surroundings. She asked one of the two younger women standing in line to snap it with her camera. As we started to pose, another woman in line said, “I’m sixty, too!”
So of course we invited her to join the photo!
The best part was that after taking the picture, the younger woman who snapped it said to her friend, “That’s going to be us when we’re sixty.”
Those few moments in the bathroom made my night. Because ageism is still a major issue in our society, particularly for women. It felt important to have modeled being proud and happy of our age.
This morning, Susan (left, above) sent me the picture, and I’m sharing with you - hopefully it will bring a smile to your face.
Thank you Dark Star Orchestra and Stony Creek Brewery for a truly wonderful evening!
I love where you went with this essay, Sarah. It’s so much more than about the music.
It’s the magic we make just being alive. The joy that comes from feeling alive. Kindred spirits share attracted to you. Don’t change, Silver Girl. Sail on.
ps I tried posting this on your Substack but the form wouldn’t let me log in. I will try again Friday.
pps My older brother is a huge Dead fan. I wish he had married you so we could be mishpuchah.
But hey! Hank’s a doll so lucky you!
Such a delightful post, Sarah! You made me smile and laugh. I’d like to join the fan club for the dancing knitter! #SquadGoals