Labor Day celebrates the American worker. However you may celebrate, we wish you a Happy Labor Day!
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."
June Banter Bites
Well, Red loves lists … and Black likes to be organized and efficient, so here's a list of the Banter Bites we posted this month:
1: Walking Toward A Better Future?
2: Idiot! Jerk! You're Weak! Now How Do You Feel?
3: A Peaceful Protest + Passion = Powerful
4. No Empathy? How About A Little Human Kindness?
5: You Should Be Safe. Night Or Day. Black Or White.
6: Coronavirus Has Touched Everything … Even Pizza!
8: When Camp Becomes A Dilemma
9: Facts First. Opinions Second.
10: Voting May Not Be Easy … But It's Critical
11: Frankly, My Dear, I DO Give A Damn
12: Can A Monument To The Past Help Make A Better Future?
13: Here's A Radical Remedy For Exhaustion!
15: Do You Think Your Secrets Are Safe With Your Family?
16: A Supremely Wonderful Decision
17: Roller Coasters, Mad Dashes, & Fairy Tales
18-1: Want To Get People's Attention?
18-2: Making Dreams Legal
19: Don't Just Say It, Mean It
20: Camp's An Escape From Reality. Isn't It?
22: A Clever Phrase? Or A Critical Message?
23: The Winner Of This NASCAR Race? All of Us!
24: Leave My Air Alone!
25: Attention Young People – Older People Need Your Help!
26: You May Be The Difference Between Life & Death
27: The Better Half of Hide-And-Seek
29: Finding The Truth Shouldn't Be A Scavenger Hunt
30: To Quote The Rolling Stones …