Carpe Die…m?

Tags

Calvin and Hobbes, Carpe Diem, Dead Poets Society, humor, Latin, nap, postaday, Robin Williams, Rome, Seize the Day, whitewater rafting

Remember the movie “Dead Poets Society”? With Robin Williams whispering to his young charges “Carpe Diem … seize the day boys, seize the day”?

I love that movie. The last scenes always put a tear in my eye. But I digress.

Back in the day (the early 90’s) I had a sweat shirt on which, in very large letters, were the words “Carpe Diem”. I wore it a lot when I told people of my latest solo adventure … white water rafting … glider flying … trip to the concert on the Esplanade on July 4th … whatever.

One would-be-paramour was so taken that he went and had a similar shirt made. He wears it to this day. Yes, I know. I find it hard to believe, too. But there have been folks who enjoy a woman like this. Go figure.

I always loved the words … both for the sound and for the sentiment. Yes, I took Latin back in school. And yes, I was in the Latin Club. And yes, we wore togas … well, once a year. And did that ever make those High School crushes look sexy … but once again I digress.

So when I saw this Calvin and Hobbes cartoon this morning, my mind wandered … to times past … sweatshirts past … Latin Clubs past. Our Latin teacher did not remotely resemble Robin Williams, by the way. Mrs. Remaley was at retirement age, and approached 300 pounds I’m thinking. The picture of her trip to Rome … her astride a small beleaguered donkey coming down the path … makes former students laugh to this very day.

The sweatshirt … and my whitewater rafting trips … are a thing of the past. But my passion for life and all things in it remains. So what should my theoretical sweatshirt of today say?

I suppose Carpe Diem should still work. After all, I do … on many days … look for things that make me happy. Hence the whole Happy Holly Project. But that officially ended on June 24th, so I am free to do … whatever … whenever.

Excuse me while I seize my coffee … Carpe Caffeine? There is no word for Tea in Latin … but Coffee is Capulus. So … Carpe Capulus? Certainly fits the things I seize these days.

But more than coffee … or tea … the thing I seize more and more probably deserves a shirt. Certainly fits the latter-day me from time to time.

Carpe Dormio.

And what is Dormio, you may ask?