White Out

Symmetry and everything white: usually one thinks of weddings with this kind of blissful perfection. But in this case, it was a gay birthday. A happy 40th. In some cultures, white represents purity, virginity; in other cultures, death and mourning. In the gay culture, there are the White Circuit parties.

Calling everyone to the outdoor dinner table took on a surreal tone, the look of Fellini’s “8-1/2″, with everyone from the birthday boy’s life walking in white across the grass to gather around him at his birthday table. I can hear the score now…

Pouring the red wine took on the feel of adventure for the catering waiter. It became a threatening color when balancing it over the white-washed diners and accoutrements. Our captain’s tables were bolted in forest green linen to blend in with the backyard pines and grass. While we wore our usual bistro white with black vest, tie, pants and shoes, we did blend in, but then, everything central to the party blended together in a bright, clean fashion. In this case, one became the invisible server by not blending in, not completely.