Blog @ Work

With 2016 marking 400 years since Shakespeare’s death, there’s no time like the present to revisit all of the theater favorites or follow in the footsteps of the iconic playwright. From standing on Juliet’s balcony in Verona to exploring Hamlet’s castle in Denmark, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Shakespeare all around the world, but the No. 1 destination is, of course, his home country of England. The country is celebrating the legacy of its national poet with a host of special events, plays, film screenings and exhibitions, and even if you missed the anniversary itself (April 23), there are plenty of ways to add a Shakespearean
twist to your visit.

Visit famous Stratford-upon-Avon landmarks and walk in William Shakespeare’s footsteps with this ‘All Five Houses’ tour ticket. Step back in time to the 16th century, when one of England’s most famous scribes was alive. Visit Shakespeare’s family homes and gardens at your leisure, where a broad range of exciting activities bring the bard’s story to life. Listen as the guides shed light on his life and times, watch live performances, test your Shakespearean knowledge, meet farm animals at Mary Arden's Farm and enjoy a fun-filled day for all the family. Highlights: Family-friendly Romantic experience, perfect for couples; Step back in time on a history tour; Perfect for all ages and skill levels.

Yes, authors and poets have a duty to address political, economic and social issues through their writing. They form the world’s consciousness. Social and political change is often met by the power of the pen. Writing about issues that really matter evokes people to take a stand and is thereby capable of changing the status quo. Mark Twain and Martin Luther King helped putting an end to slavery. Women’s' rights leader Mary Wollstonecraft wrote about women’s suffrage and was important in the discourse on women’s rights. Since writers and poets take on the world as their backyard they form opinions and can easily vent those through their work. They also have an audience.

When starting a journal later in life it is often triggered by the turning points in your life, the phenomenons that stood out, were rare or strange but had the power to change life’s path. It is by monitoring those events you get a lot of insights in your own behavior and what life has in store for you. You can learn, marvel or moan about it since there is a line visible after so many years in to writing. I think that is the purpose and the beauty of starting and keeping a journal.

This is a beautiful quote by the actor Gene Wilder whom I only know of featuring in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I understand by the prompt of the day he is deceased. He was 83 years old.