It’s the Ides of March Madness, Baby (Imagined voice of Dick Vitale) …. Let’s get our track, tennis, Nike, or my preference high-top red Reebok’s; we’ve got a quick game of “horse” through history for you, this month’s lucky post. Grab your nasty work-out bag, passport, Holy water, Lara Bar, and purse; we’re off this beautiful, still winter-ish, high of 58 degrees, puffy clouds, sunny day. Please keep your hands, elbows, and arms from flailing about the cabin. Two-pointer here for you, always wear eye shields. I’ve seen retinas be scratched that can leave permanent eye damage and totally a personal foul. Not enough carrots can repair that, Doc.
“March Madness refers to the excitement of the final few weeks of the college basketball tournament in the United States that features many major schools. It is called madness simply because there are so many games going on throughout the country, usually during the same time. I refer to the entire month as madness, especially as of late. Lost my late great father in March, hence I stay cautiously optimistic, especially during the Ides. Wouldn’t you? Has it always been or are we stuck in a loop, missed hoop shot?
March Madness generates a substantial buzz because there is always a certain amount of uncertainty, and that can be said, for life in general, or especially as of lately. Teams that would not normally make the 64-team field, get one more shot before the NCAA tournament begins, further adding to the urgency of March Madness.” Source Infobloom.com
The NCAA tournament reaches all four corners of this awesome, glorious country! Also adding to the hype around March Madness is the fact that every year a team seemingly comes from outta “nowhere” to make a “run” deep into the tournament. More like a jump, Jordan inspired, half-court shot, free throws, not-so promised! This team is often called a Cinderella team, which is hilarious to me. A Rodman rebound team of “giant” proportions; innuendo intended. We’re not even close to midnight, Pumpkin. A bibbidity, bobbidity, boo; let’s carriage onward and upward! To Shaq, a very merry birthday this day. The Kings afoot.
“Ides comes from an old Latin verb iduare, which meant “to divide.” It was the Roman term for the day that came in the middle of the month. Every month has an Ides. March has 31 days, so the Ides of March is on March 15.”
According to Wikipedia, my ancient history classes, Sister Philomenia at Loretto High School, and “convos”, or as I like to say, lectures with me dear ol’ Pappy on an everyday afternoon; “It was marked by several religious observances and was notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debts”, more ways than one. In 44 BC, it became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar which made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history,” and just so you know, there’s no turning back from this point onward.
Everyone should take a history class or sex education, now called “Health”, with a nun. It’s wise to experience and express every viewpoint, no matter how baffling and uncomfortable. Que the Scottish bagpipes; I’m decked out in a velvet navy top and green pleated plaid, shiny, lucky penny affixed loafers to match, jersey number on my back. Color coordinated; coordinates set to The Emerald Isles. Take the fogbow by day and the moonbow at night, may our travels be a delight.
Lots to explore, unravel, dig-up, coincide, and determine from here. We’ll find a quaint, probably haunted, gaudy, and floral decor everything, bed and breakfast for our short stay and since we’re on the subject; watch your back and watch out for potholes! That’s one way to twist an ankle for a couple thousand years, or so. I heard “rumors” the continental breakfast has grapefruit, powdered sugared waffles, and a scramble to melt my cheesy heart. One way to me heart is Tillamook! Don’t get me started on ice cream, see blog post Sundae Times for further reference. A napkin is necessary for that delectably delicious, sticky, oh so ooey-gooey mess.
“The Romans did not number each day of a month from the first to the last day. Instead, they counted back from three fixed points of the month: the Nones (the 5th or 7th, nine days inclusive before the Ides), the Ides (the 13th for most months, but the 15th in March, May, July, and October), and the Kalends (1st of the following month). Originally the Ides were supposed to be determined by the full moon, reflecting the lunar origin of the Roman calendar.
In the earliest calendar, the Ides of March would have been the first full moon of the new year.” The moon’s made of cheese!; but that’s for another day of writing about, celestials, Sci-fi, Pink Floyd, the Sea of Tranquility, the Hopi Indians, reptilians, rockets, caves, crystal skulls, 1950’s rock-n-roll, ukuleles, swiss, and provolone melted on everything. Scheduling that perfect picnic day in the park for a Saturday in Chicago, maybe the 4th of July? Sounds good to me, consider it a date.
“In modern times, the Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Caesar was stabbed to death at a meeting of the Senate. Wish I could say governments aren’t as bloodthirsty or violent, over 2000 years later. Are we incapable of learning from history and completely doomed to repeat it?
As many as 60 conspirators (Frenemies), led by Brutus and Cassius (brother-in-laws), were involved. According to Plutarch (known primarily for his Parallel Lives, a series of biographies of illustrious Greeks and Romans, and Moralia, a collection of essays and speeches. Upon becoming a wealthy Roman citizen, he was named Lucius (Malfoy sarcastically comes to mind) Mestrius Plutarchus and said to be vegetarian) a seer had warned that harm would come to Caesar on the Ides of March.
Sidebar note or time-out, I love how literary works use historical names with their fictious characters. Maybe to add a layer of mystique or named to entrap the reader on a quest to the name’s origins. Either way, pack lightly for this luggage has to be stowed below and has an over-limit weight freight, hopefully no carry-ons allowed. A double dribble will cost you.
“On his way to the Theatre of Pompey, where he would be assassinated, Caesar passed the seer and joked, “Well, the Ides of March are come”, implying that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied “Aye, they are come, but they are not gone.” This meeting is famously dramatized in William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, when Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to “beware the Ides of March.”
The Roman biographer Suetonius identifies the “seer” as a haruspex named Spurinna, and not the sweetener that goes in your coffee. A haruspex almost sounds like its definition and beyond disgusting; a religious official who interpreted omens by inspecting the entrails of sacrificial animals (The movie Year One has a perfect, slam-dunk depiction). This actually “happened” (Historical) and was used all over the planet, from the Druids to the Aztecs. So gross! Maybe fish and chips a more appetizing lunch option.
According to Bartleby.com, “William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, is about the assassination of the titular future king and the aftermath of this event. Julius Caesar was loved by all the common people but hated by the aristocracy. Many characters in this play end up dying due to this event (Don’t they all). Many of them had thought themselves immortal.” But here lies wicked love triangles that run or rule for eons and tandem with the empires they demolished.
While we’re on the subject of Shakespear, March, and madness; might as well mention the Scottish play, curses, witches, and weird remedies. “The Scottish Play” is a euphemism for Shakespeare ‘s play Macbeth, used by many actors when they want to refer to the play without saying the name, out of respect for the superstitions which surround the play, according to infobloom.com, and theatres, and hinky stage performers everywhere who’ve heard the long-ago brewed stories over a cauldron of an agent’s or “recruiters” stenchy stew.
Apparently, the spells from the three wayward sisters are infused into the play itself, and besides having to blaze the stage, it’s best to run out of the building, spin three times as fast as one can, spit over your left shoulder, and say an expletive. This breaks the curse! I’m not shocked, nor am I spitting and cursing, but the month is still young. We’ll see what April showers bring, before I get to behaving like a camel. Honory and majestic animals! That’s a Humpday of writing in the making.
Among other madness to enjoy this month, St. Patrick’s Day is a must! I have gone my whole life believing I was mostly Irish and have honored this amazing country’s origins, myths, and otherworldly folklore, only to have a small percentage of DNA. This shamrock is still proud of my green, lush, potato, heritage. According to History.com, Californians, and leprechauns alike and unalike, “St. Patrick’s Day observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, harping, drinking and a whole lot of green.” Shall we mingle on?
Now it’s a holiday that my husband pinches me if I’m not wearing a green article of clothing. This year, however, I won’t be outwardly stating, “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” I won’t be partaking in green beer either, highly allergic. No corned beef or cabbage, no longer eat red meat, and cabbage alone will gas me into Easter. No baseball or spring training, since the leagues aren’t willing to pay a starter 700,000 dollars. Sounds insane and this slider comes with a barter exchanged. If that isn’t madness, I don’t know what is. Catch you later, maybe next year.
“United we stand, divided we fall” is a phrase used in many different kinds of mottos, most often to inspire unity and collaboration. Its core concept lies in the collectivist notion that if individual members of a certain group with binding ideals, such as a union, coalition, confederation or alliance who work on their own instead of as a team; they are each doomed to fail and will all be defeated. The phrase is also often referred to with only the words “United we stand”. Source Wikipedia
“The phrase has been attributed to the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop, both directly in his fable “The Four Oxen and the Lion” and indirectly in “The Bundle of Sticks”.” “Aesop’s Fables, or the Aesopica, is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE.” If ever you have spare time or have a quiet afternoon with Earl Grey tea and cat in your lap, these fables will take you on adventures through the animal kingdom, politics, betrayal, love, and otherworldly tales with furry, harry, sometimes prickly tails! The boy who cried wolf, was Aesop among so many awesome others, to learn, love, and live accordingly by.
“A similar phrase also appears in the biblical “New Testament”, translated into English from the historic Greek in Mark 3:25 as “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”. As time marches on, we must remember this planet’s past and all the clovers to come futures existence matters now more than ever. Let your four leaves symbolically be heart and soul healthy, heavenly sent, and divinely earthly.
Lastly, we’ll enjoy a crazy tea party, and a Madhatter for a maestro. On the menu, green tea ice cream shamrock shakes, cucumber sandwiches, and lucky charm ambrosia salad. Try and avoid pulling hamstrings (hammy’s); has two meanings, one a muscle strain pertaining to athleticism, the other slang. Hope you’re in the musical mood for Stevie Wonder and for feeling very superstitious, the writing is posted on the wall. Hanging on the hoops of yesterday, I wish you a bounty of blessings to travel with you.
This concludes our travels this day and hope you enjoyed flying through hoops of historical madness. This is a disclaimer for anyone who needs one. This story is a complete work of fiction for entertainment purposes only. God be with you and God speed every endeavor.
Beyond Sirius Sea 