Surprise Party

Gerry and I were invited to a surprise 80th birthday party for a friend, happening on Sunday.  That got me to thinking about surprise parties.  I was telling a friend today that as a rule, as a family, we don't do surprise parties.  My oldest daughter's best friend once threw one for her. But aside from that,  we haven't done much of that.  My friend and I both reflected on our experiences with our one and only birthday party each,  which were surprises.  Hers was for her 16th birthday;  mine was my eleventh birthday.   She was very moved and touched by hers, and thought it was so wonderful.  I was just eleven and lived in a very rural area of the state.  In order to get  me out, appropriately dressed,  the cover-story (lie) I was told is that we were going to the movies in Memphis.

So we stopped off at the neighbor's house, and a gathering of people all jumped out and yelled:  "Surprise."  It took a while for it to soak in that this was a party for me.  I kept wondering about the movie.  When were we leaving?  Who all was going?  It took some time for me to sort out that the movies just were not going to happen that day.  I think I even felt a bit of disappointment, to tell the truth.  I was fully convinced by that lie!

 Come to think of it, maybe that is why I can live quite happily for the rest of my life without ever having to be surprised like that again!

I wonder if our friend will actually be surprised?   Can all those people who were invited really keep that secret?  Can they get him there without some big lie?   What will his reaction be?   I wonder how it will all turn out!

I guess we'll have to wait and see.