It’s partly the pain anyone who loves Shakespeare would feel.

I attended Lakewood High School, in Lakewood, OH. That was back in the bad old days, when the standard English curriculum was rife with Old Dead White Men.

And, probably the most outstanding ODWM of all – William Shakespeare.

I was fortunate to be able to attend during the early years of the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. The board had apparently made an agreement for them to provide access to the auditorium for the duration of the festival, in return to giving performances to Lakewood’s students during the day. I don’t know the financials, but it was a profitable deal for all. The actors and staff got paid, the students were exposed to live, professional performances of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. I remember it as 2 plays a year, one year we attended 3.

All students attended, no cost, transportation provided by the board. We dressed up for these occasions. We behaved ourselves. We were enraptured.

I remember some of them:

• Taming of the Shrew
• Hamlet
• Romeo & Juliet (Yes, we focused on the romance; only years later did we fully understand the tragedy)
• Midsummer Night’s Dream
• As You Like It
• Julius Caesar, I believe – although I could have seen it later. I did attend some plays even after graduation.
• The Merchant of Venice
• Othello
• The Comedy of Errors
• Anthony & Cleopatra

Those are the ones that come to me off the top of my head.

The live performances made Shakespeare come to life for us. The kids reacted much like the audiences of his time would have. Laughing at the broad jokes, intently focusing on the nefarious plots, becoming one with the lovers, and seeing the words they’d read come to life right in front of them.

We were instructed by our teachers on our expected actions during the plays, and I honestly don’t remember any problems. Keep in mind, this was WAY before medicated kids and excuses for unacceptable behavior.

For me, it was magic.

On a personal note, I recently located the church where an ancestor of mine was married. The person was from my mother’s side of the family. We’d always assumed that they were Catholic, as we were.

Nope. The church they married in is Anglican. St. Matthews Church, in Walsall, England, is located only a short distance away from Stratford on Avon (now called Stratford Upon Avon), where Shakespeare lived. And by short distance, it’s the better part of a day away (43.8 miles or so on a horse would be a good stopping point). It’s a fascinating history – check out the link. The church is first mentioned in 1200. Naturally, it was Roman Catholic until Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.

Fun news – there is a crypt! I really have to get busy saving for a trip there. Hopefully, England can hold on to the Midlands long enough for me to do it safely.

This is my heritage. The English part is about 38%, inherited from both parents. My dad’s mother was Delia Edgill – probably derived from ‘Edgehill. My mother’s family, the Devilles, were the ones married at that church on December 25, 1852. Thomas arrived in New York on June 12, 1862. The records don’t show his family traveled with him. He was naturalized September 19, 1865. When he signed his papers, he did so with a mark (indicating he was illiterate).

From the records, he appears to have been enterprising. In 1869, he was arrested for selling liquor without a license. He made bail at the time. He was in the 1870 census as a store keeper. I do suspect that some intoxicating substances might have been in his inventory.

Why do I add all that information?

Because it’s the truth. Because no matter what Thomas’s faults were (and I do suspect that the official record may hide a LOT of other unsavory reality), that is, in fact, my heritage.

Warts and all.

And I REFUSE to bury his legacy because he was an imperfect ODWM. Just as Shakespeare is more than his financial struggles, his use of foreign material to build his plays (Oh, HORROR! He appropriated other cultures!).

I don’t expect perfection of anyone. That’s why, despite some flaws, I voted for Trump – THREE times.

I’m generally pretty chill about others. If they aren’t trying to take my money, cause me harm, or butting into my personal business, yeah, sure, dye your hair blue, get those tats, harbor insane beliefs (as long as you don’t act on the violent fantasies).

Live and Let Live.

But, by attempting to erase MY culture, they have crossed the line. And I will not stand for that.

If you want to avoid the problem of Amazon’s removal of books you have paid for, try using Gutenberg.com. It’s free, they have improved the product considerably, and you can save the books in multiple formats in case Amazon reverts to their clampdowns on UNGood writing.

Not bad, but UNGood – something that offends the Overly Offended.