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."
May 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: FREE Resources (Really!) For Educators & Community Organizations
2: Corona Testing Does Not Stop With The Test
4: Is What Was Essential Before Essential Now?
5: Thanksgiving In May? #GivingTuesdayNow
6: What Has Coronavirus Done To Your Hair?
7: Coronavirus – Choosing Between "Right" and "Popular"
8: Neiman Marcus – A Storied Past … Maybe No Future
9: Does Finding Toilet Paper = Winning The Lottery?
11: Can You Hear Me Now?
12: COVID-19 And Women's Figures???
13: Is Comfort Food Making You Uncomfortable?
14: If A Wartime Hero Asked You For A Small Favor …
15: Never Underestimate The Power Of Wishes
16: Red Finally Uses Her Theater Degree!
18: Some People Are Best During A Crisis
19: Risky Drugs Or Common Sense? Your Choice.
20: Heroes Or Profiteers? Friend Or Foe?
21: Without A Map You May Never Reach Your Destination
22: Be Angry About The Past? Or Smart About The Future?
23: Calories Aside – Think Before Eating Out
25: Your Memorial Day Holiday Came At A High Cost
26: More To Fear Than Sunburn & Sand In Your Bathing Suit
27: A Little Birdie Told Me … Facts Matter. Tweet That.
28: 100,000 People. Not Just Names. Stop And Think About That.
29: When Will This Stop? Will It Ever Stop?
30: Two Wrongs … Are Two Wrongs