GRAVITAS.....DIGNITAS.....PIETAS

In an ancient Roman context, the word gravitas communicated a sense of dignity, seriousness, and duty. Gravitas is one of the several virtues that Ancient Roman society expected men to possess, along with pietas and dignitas. (Wikipedia 2006)

Dignitas was a unique social concept in the ancient Roman mindset. The word does not have a direct connotation or translation in English. To an extent, it was the sum total of the personal clout and influence a male citizen acquired throughout his life. When weighing the dignitas of a particular individual, factors such as personal reputation, moral standing, and ethical worth had to be considered, along with his entitlement to respect and proper treatment. As the cultivation of dignitas was extremely personal, Roman men of all classes (most particularly noblemen of Consular families), were highly protective and zealous of this asset. Most were prepared to kill, commit suicide (as in the famous case of Marcus Antonius), or go into exile, in order to preserve this most treasured asset. (Wikipedia 2006)

Pietas was also one of the Roman virtues, along with gravitas and dignitas. Pietas is usually translated as "duty" or "devotion," and it simultaneously suggests duty to the gods and duty to family (which is expanded to duty to the community and duty to the state thanks to the analogy between the family and the state, conventional in the ancient world – see, for example, Plato's Crito). Virgil's hero Aeneas embodies this virtue, and is particularly emblematic of it in book II of the Aeneid when he flees burning Troy bearing his father on his back and carrying his household gods. (Wikipedia 2006)

HMMMM...very interesting.

About Nancy

Nancy was my best friend in high school and I guess nothing has changed much since then. We competed in just about every way possible, except in sports. Yeah right, Nancy doing any kind of physical activity that wasn't romantic in nature? Being two of the most popular girls in school, we had it going on or at least we thought we did. There was nothing that we didn't share and that goes for boyfriends too, OK there were a few exceptions like Richie Stein (I don't know what I was thinking)he is so hot right now.
Richie (pictured on the left-looking all sexy..yummmy) was Nancy's H.S. Love and besides that Richie and I hated each other, until recently. Fortunately, I don't have a picture of my high school love(s), I actually had quite a few. As you can surmise, when I fall in love; love is all there is, until the next one comes along and there is always one waiting at the door (hmm..unfortunately, he's never "the one"). In fact when the most recent ex-barbarian broke up with me, the guys came out of the woodwork like hyenas.

One time Nancy and I decided that we both were totally in love with Maurice Best, again I have to say-what in the world were we thinking?
Maurice was the president of the school, smooth, mature (LOLOLOL)..he was the MAN (In his own mind, I'm sure we helped his ego rise into the stratosphere)!!!! Oh by the way, we were in a boarding school with about 200 students. So as you can guess, being upper classmen the boy-pickings were slim to none.
As our deep and abiding love for Mr. Best had escalated to a non-sensical fervor, Nancy and I became rabid and obsessed as the green eyed monster showed itself. If I remember correctly, we greased up our faces with Vaseline (literally) and went to war.
Nancy will have to fill us in on the details after she reads this, as I don't remember much except the vaseline (maybe it was all the acid, who knows).

Note to myself: Natasha are you in denial?

After high school, she went to college in Florida and I went to college in LA (which lasted oh..about 3 seconds)....trying to escape the northeast, I think. I did fly down to Miami for a visit and met her boyfriend at the time. The only image of that rocket scientist that I can convey is; little penis, bad acne and taking way too many steroids, he was..... a dream..in the form of a nightmare.

Why are boys (men) so predictable?

I swear the male species has not evolved at all...what is up with that?

OK I'll be fair, I will admit that the female species hasn't done much evolving either.

Maybe, I'll ponder more about this subject in another post.

Got to go..more to come about Nancy...oh Nancy, who is "Bianca"?