For the past couple of years, I've taken on the nerdy task of warning my friends of the ides of March via text message on March 15.
It's just so funny to me. I amuse myself extremely easily, and this is one of the ways. I'm a huge Julius Caesar fan (as any longtime readers will know), and I usually post something about Caesar's Shakespearean demise on this fateful day. (Here and here for example.)
But this year I was sort of reflecting on my nerdy task. How do I decide to whom to send a "Beware the ides of March!" text? I realized that March 15 is kind of my contact reflection day. What I mean is, as I scroll through the list of my contacts, I think about the people I've come into contact with throughout the years in such a manner that I have their numbers in my phone. Some of the people made it on sort of a situational basis. We're at some event together and hey, let me get your number so I can tell you when we arrive at such and such. After the event was over, we never stayed in touch. But I still have their numbers. Some of the people I used to talk to on a frequent basis, but now due to time, distance and/or a change in relationship dynamics, I never hear from them now. And, admittedly, I never call them, either. But I still have their numbers. Some people are people I don't usually talk to, but we're still really cool. What I mean is, we don't have frequent phone conversations at all, but when we do, we just pick up where we left off. There's no awkwardness due to the fact that we haven't talked or seen each other in however long. Then there are the frequent friends. No explanation needed there. But lastly, and leastly, there are the people I don't even remember. That's pretty bad. If I don't even remember how I met them or who they are, maybe it's probably time to delete them, right?
But back to my text selection process. I don't send the text to people solely based on the above categories. It's also a matter of who I think will get it and/or appreciate it. Even if someone falls into the used-to-be-frequent-but-never-hear-from-now category, I will include them if they are a similar brand of nerd as I am and would appreciate it. But I can't say that getting it or appreciating it is a big criterion either, because sometimes I send it to people knowing they would probably not get it. In these cases, my purposes are slightly pedagogical, as in, I feel that they need to know. These are usually friends of mine who are college kids or to whom I've given academics-related advice. They're the ones who respond "What are ides?" much to my amusement.
Points always go to the one who texts back the wittiest response. "Et tu, Brute?" is kind of played out, to be honest. My favorite this year is "Thanks, I went ahead and sprayed for them this year. They tend to get in the house and make such a mess." LOL!
And of course, I must end with my favorite lines in Julius Caesar (not counting Mark Antony's funeral oration, of course, which is the off the chain):
Caesar: The ides of March are come.
Soothsayer: Aye, Caesar, but not gone.
So, beware! Seriously, try not to get assassinated today. That's not good for anyone.
But this year I was sort of reflecting on my nerdy task. How do I decide to whom to send a "Beware the ides of March!" text? I realized that March 15 is kind of my contact reflection day. What I mean is, as I scroll through the list of my contacts, I think about the people I've come into contact with throughout the years in such a manner that I have their numbers in my phone. Some of the people made it on sort of a situational basis. We're at some event together and hey, let me get your number so I can tell you when we arrive at such and such. After the event was over, we never stayed in touch. But I still have their numbers. Some of the people I used to talk to on a frequent basis, but now due to time, distance and/or a change in relationship dynamics, I never hear from them now. And, admittedly, I never call them, either. But I still have their numbers. Some people are people I don't usually talk to, but we're still really cool. What I mean is, we don't have frequent phone conversations at all, but when we do, we just pick up where we left off. There's no awkwardness due to the fact that we haven't talked or seen each other in however long. Then there are the frequent friends. No explanation needed there. But lastly, and leastly, there are the people I don't even remember. That's pretty bad. If I don't even remember how I met them or who they are, maybe it's probably time to delete them, right?
But back to my text selection process. I don't send the text to people solely based on the above categories. It's also a matter of who I think will get it and/or appreciate it. Even if someone falls into the used-to-be-frequent-but-never-hear-from-now category, I will include them if they are a similar brand of nerd as I am and would appreciate it. But I can't say that getting it or appreciating it is a big criterion either, because sometimes I send it to people knowing they would probably not get it. In these cases, my purposes are slightly pedagogical, as in, I feel that they need to know. These are usually friends of mine who are college kids or to whom I've given academics-related advice. They're the ones who respond "What are ides?" much to my amusement.
Points always go to the one who texts back the wittiest response. "Et tu, Brute?" is kind of played out, to be honest. My favorite this year is "Thanks, I went ahead and sprayed for them this year. They tend to get in the house and make such a mess." LOL!
And of course, I must end with my favorite lines in Julius Caesar (not counting Mark Antony's funeral oration, of course, which is the off the chain):
Caesar: The ides of March are come.
Soothsayer: Aye, Caesar, but not gone.
So, beware! Seriously, try not to get assassinated today. That's not good for anyone.
2 comments:
I got a text! I feel so special! It made me smile, remembering your slight obsession with the Ides of March :)
Ha! Yeah, I'm a little obsessed. :-)
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