Forsooth! Fivesooth, even!
Extra points if you read that in Snagglepuss’s voice. Or even know who he is. But I digress.
Today is National Talk Like Shakespeare Day! That’s because it’s April 23rd, the anniversary of both his birth and death, in 1564 and 1616, respectively. So I thought it fitting that I share my own personal Shakespearean tale.
I was stationed in South Korea with a squadron providing Close Air Support near the DMZ. The commander discovered that I was reasonably proficient in grammar and spelling, and I was eventually rewarded (?) by being allowed (?) to review every…single…dadburned performance report, decoration submission, and award package for the entire squadron. So be cautious about doing things well, because they may become your full-time job.
But back to the story. The commander was pleased enough with my word wrassling that he wrote in my performance report, in a wild burst of blazing hyperbole, that I “could teach Shakespeare to write.” It was nice of him to say so. And then the sentiment was made even more immortal in the going-away shadow box I was given when I finally finished my tour and headed back to the States.
I’ve happily displayed the shadow box on my office wall since then, not only as a reminder that I survived what the assignments folks at Randolph AFB called the “worst assignment in the Air Force for a Chief,” but also because it’s a delightful case of Shakespearean literary irony. I get a chuckle every time I see it.
Do you see it?
In A Tale-Spin 