Red Hat R. I. P.?

I've never given much thought to the Red Hat Society, the social organization for women over 50, even though I, uh, might be eligible for membership. (Quit laughing.) Red hats--beautiful red hats--are worn at their functions and when they just get together for fun. The website is full of information.

But I was at a Goodwill store yesterday and there, behind the counter where they could be displayed to full advantage, were six red hats. Some had purple feathers (the other favorite color of the group), and some not. They were fancy and plain. And I stopped and wondered: What happened to their owners? Did they trade up to better hats and yet donate these instead of passing them along to another? Did they get tired of or disillusioned with the organization and quit? Did they die?

I'll never know, but then, I haven't stopped pondering about those six lonely red hats, either.