SOC Badge by: Doobster at Mindful Digressions
Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again. This week’s prompt is “Name” and we minions can use it any way we want. If you would like to join, the fun go to Linda Hill’s site and read all about it and jump in. http://lindaghill.com/2015/05/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-915/ my interpretation follows. Hope you like it.
Name by John W. Howell ©2015
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
“What’s that you’re saying?”
“Oh, nothing just a quote.”
“A quote? From where or what?”
“It’s from Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet.”
“Who are they?”
“Shakespeare?”
“No, the other two. I know Shakespeare. They make fishing equipment.”
“For heaven’s sake. It is the sonnet writer William Shakespeare.”
“He on YouTube?”
“No, he lived in the sixteen hundreds and wrote beautiful poetry.”
“So he lived uptown?”
“What do you mean uptown?”
“Well, the sixteen hundreds are way uptown.”
“Man alive. Why do I even try?”
“So the other two what’s their name. What’s the story on them?”
“They were lovers who were from families that hated each other.”
“So they couldn’t be seen together and they died under tragic circumstances.”
“Wow. I’m impressed. How did you know?”
“I saw Westside Story. That’s what happened in that movie.”
“Yeah, it happened in the movie as well I guess although I think Romeo and Juliet inspired the movie.”
“Well, I didn’t know that was true.”
Does it change your mind about Shakespeare?”
No, should it?”
“It should make you think about stuff more.”
“I guess you’re right. I have something to say but should think it through.”
Now you’re talking. When you’re ready say it.”
“Want to get a beer that by any other name would still taste good?”
“Well, it’s a start. Sure, Why not?”
Fiction Favorites 
Love how you end it, John. Of course I would love that ending….
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Fishing equipment…. you slay me John. (But my granddaddy was into fishing, so it rang a bell — didn’t make it any less funny though.) Hugs! 😀
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Thanks Teagan. I’m not even sure they are a big name in fishing anymore.
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Very nice handling of the prompt John. I do hope you made it up (not overheard). Have a great weekend.
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I did make it up, but there are still pockets of ignorance out there.
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Excellent ending. Though I cringed through a lot of the story. I’ve had this conversation with people. It’s . . . disheartening.
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I know right? Sometimes I get the feeling I’m the last reader on earth. Thanks
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Not only with books too. I’ve seen people accuse older artists of copying the work of someone who did a remake. Best example I can think of is hearing people say that the Queen ‘remake’ of Glee’s Bohemian Rhapsody was terrible. It really makes you wonder if there was an epidemic of babies being dropped on their heads about a decade or two ago.
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Ha ha ha. I love this. Could be a post idea for you
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Maybe. Though the topic does sound familiar. At least similar to when I talked about cliches being in the eye of the beholder. It really depends on a person’s exposure.
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Love the snappy dialogue and the peppered use of Shakespeare. Got my heart started when I laughed aloud. Now I’m good for the day. 😀 😀 😀
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Well you had me in stitches … I guess the person you were speaking too was younger.. an offspring maybe…. I liked it a lot esp “Want to get a beer that by any other name would still taste good?” But would it??
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I think you might be right. “Want to get a turd?” might just be a taste killer.
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You could be right there!!
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Have you been hanging out with my relatives?
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Ha ha ha . Got em cold eh?
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In order not to know Shakespeare a person has to be REALLY, REALLY not paying attention – because the Bard is all wrapped up in our culture.
Love this exchange! I can picture it happening, in my own family of origin….
It’s something I’ve actually had people ask me, because we unschool (our children, ages 13.5 an almost 11, are free to explore the world as they choose, with parents who facilitate those explorations rather than teach).
“But what about Shakespeare? How will they learn about Shakespeare, if you don’t teach them?!”
*looks around, sees soapbox sitting there doing nothing, and climbs aboard*
As though no one would explore Shakespeare because he’s cool enough to still be forced on people four centuries later, in a way that makes many a high school kid ‘turn off’ entirely)….
As if ‘Shakespeare’ is comprised only of those sonnets and plays required – as though he’s meant to be read out of clumsy texts with footnotes…
As if my children don’t have a mother who owns a leather-bound Globe Complete Illustrated Shakespeare (gift from a really repentant ex-boyfriend with a LOT to repent!), as if I don’t write Shakespeare-inspired fiction and read it to them, as if I’ve never grabbed a kids’ book on the Bard’s life and work, and offered to read it with them, because it had lovely watercolors…
As if we’ve never seen Captain Picard as MacBeth, or Hamlet or a Midsummer Night’s Dream performed live, in the open air. As if the Simpsons, Family Guy, and other popular culture aren’t filled with Shakespeare references. As if Star Trek isn’t a hotbed for them…
As if there were no PBS, internet, or reason to ever bump into Shakespeare, and – gasp! – fall in love….
Of course, if a kid’s stuck in a classroom having some long-dead English guy who talked funny crammed into their head, they might never become the kid who spends most of a bookstore evening in the Shakespeeare section, browsing and exploring, and who then comes up to his mother holding a volume of Cliff Notes on Hamlet, and announces, with absolutely no idea of what Cliff Notes were intended to do, “Mom, if you’re looking for a birthday or Christmas idea, here’s one!”
*moves soapbox out of the way, so no one else will trip over it*
I guess you inspired another SoC post! =D
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Excellent post. You have made a case for the appropriateness of the Pink Floyd lyrics, “Hey teacher, leave them kids alone.”
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I see a new product line – Shakesbeer (TM)
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Love it.
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That was the first thing that came to my mind when I read the prompt; glad I didn’t use it. You did a much better job of doing it justice. I would not like a beer by any name, I prefer wine or the hard stuff.
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I love wine as well. Thanks for the visit.
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Good one, John 🙂
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Thanks
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