from the Latin for ‘read this”

Since I diligently read my horoscope at least once every 3 years, I figure I should take it seriously every time.  This time, it said that I should write a manifesto.  Not being sure what a manifesto was, but pretty clear that it was not an Italian side dish, I figured I should look it up. 

Manifesto: A public, official and authoritative declaration making announcement or explanation of intentions, motives, or principles of actions.  From the Latin manifestus – struck by the hand

Ok.  Simple enough.  So I wrote one to now publicly declare and explain the principles of my actions:

• all work is done based on the idea that someday I would like to retire
• all play is done based on the idea that someday I would like to retire
• all children will be forced from the nest as early as possible based on the idea that someday I would like to retire
• all children will be expected to compensate parents for their upkeep, upbringing and uprooting, based on the principle that someday I would like to retire

I didn’t just write my manifesto; I made it semi-public – I announced it at the dinner table.  We have enough people there to actually qualify as a quorum of the local village, hence the semi-official designation of the semi-public status. (and I am semi-serious about that)

After delivering my manifesto, I was reminded of the Latin origins of the word, and that it meant ‘struck by the hand’.  That was pretty much the response from my family, although nobody actually hit anyone – it was more of a metaphorical slap.  I’m guessing it was the fourth bulleted point that was not appreciated by most of them.

My husband and I thought it was a great principle, but we are vastly outnumbered by our offspring, hence our votes and opinions wouldn’t count for much in our semi-public forum, if we were to run it as a democracy.  That’s the reason we operate as more of a dictatorship, which is from the Latin dictatus, meaning ‘the old people are in charge here’.