The Ides of March

The ides of March, the ides of March, the ides of March.

What's so important about that? My sister keeps saying, "Tomorrow is the ides of March," and now, "Today is the ides of March." I'm not quite sure why, but she does.

First of all, we're all readers here, so who knows what the ides of March is? Okay, maybe we're not all readers. Did I hear Shakespeare? Yes, Shakespeare wrote of it. The ides of March is simply the 15th of March. What's so special about it is that Julius Caesar was warned to "beware the ides of March!" Eventually, he was killed by Brutus; stabbed in the heart while his back was turned to the senator.

During the American Revolution, there was a Hessian general...I can't remember his name, but he's in "Liberty's Kids". Anyway, he was playing cards and ordered that he not be interrupted under any circumstances. Meanwhile, a messenger came with a note warning said general of a surprise attack the Americans were planning. A servant came into the room the general was in but the general would hear nothing, simply pockets the note. He was busy and told them not to interrupt and they had better follow those orders. The servant reluctantly left his general alone. Not much later (minutes, I think), the American's attacked. The general and his Hessians rushed to defend their hold. At some point during the battle, the general is fatally wounded. After the battle is over, his men rush to him. He remembers the note, pulls it out of his pocket, and reads it. "Had I read this note, I hadn't died."

So, what's the big deal about the ides of March today? I'm still not sure why Ang thinks so (you've have to ask her, though I'm not sure she knows either). But maybe the application is: when you're told to beware something, perhaps you should listen.