History lecture and lunch

Yesterday was the monthly history lecture run by the City historical committee.  It was held at Aldersgate Church - a vast spread on the side of the freeway with schools, halls, meeting rooms galore attached.   The lecture and lunch cost $5 and lunch is provided by a sponsor who gets a slot before the lecture to sell their wares.   Yesterday it was a glossy young lady with a bright, scratchy voice from Senior Circle " a national, non-profit organization that makes life even better for adults 50 and better." I started to get depressed!

I sat next to Olive who turned out to be 89 and used to work in the Alumni office at Texas A&M University and who loves England and Churchill. She reverentially referred to THE FUNERAL taking place yesterday and proudly announced the fact that Margaret Thatcher once spoke in College Station.  I lowered my head in what I hoped was a gesture that could be construed to as "Please, I can't bear to talk think it"  Which was true!  Olive looked sympathetic and changed the subject. Looking around the room I saw 5 people that I knew...a very progressive lady who I had coffee with and who is sending me information about all sorts of interesting meetings and events, someone from the (ladies') book group and a group of seniors from Sit and Fit. 

Lunch was announced and we all shuffled into a line.  Salad, wraps, filled croissants, fruit and cheesecake.   We got back to our tables and everyone introduces themselves and makes conversation.   

The lecture was on Native American Prehistory in the Brazos Valley and was given an breakneck speed by a professor from the anthropology department at the university.  He talked about the archaeological evidence of the inhabitants of Brazos Valley - mammoth bone and stone tools, for example and showed how the climate and geology had influenced life style.  Apart from the fact that he called the mammoths 'elephants', it was very interesting.   Then the lecture moved on to describe the way in which the Native Americans had been pushed into Texas by neighbouring states and then virtually exterminated from Texas by Anglo Texans.   There are now three small reservations in Texas and when the lecturer described how one reservation is so far away from anywhere that the Casino makes no money, the audience laughed.  I don't get it.    The questions at the end were mixed.  "How did the Indians get guns and horses?", "Is it true they don't have to have hunting and fishing licences?", "Can Indians vote?".   He answered with politeness and patience.  

I came away feeling that I'd strayed again into the wrong territory.  Looking around the room I tried to identify anyone in what I think of as 'my age group' and realised what a subjective thing that it.  They were all definitely retired, but where are the people who have only just retired?  Doing something else I guess!   The crowd at this event was definitely different from the crowd at the concert on Tuesday night where the retired and very retired mixed with the middle aged and young.  It gives a very different feel to an event.  It's a very subtle thing but I feel I haven't quite met the right age group yet!   I think I'll stick to talks at the university.