Written: 10/15/2011
I started wearing a ring earlier this year. For a couple reasons. First, I just kind of wanted one, I know, I’m somewhat shallow. It looks nice, leave me alone!
And speaking of looking nice, it looks like two rings pressed together, so unique. It also has the word “Aequalitas” inscribed inside:
One of the books I wrote for NaNoWriMo was titled Aequalitas, which I took from this ring. On a side note, the book was a horror novel based off of Abarat and The Books of the Art, but also with a little bit of a play I wrote years before for Script Frenzy based on the equality of black and white, good and evil in the world.
Anyway, when I got the ring, it came with this description:
Tradition has is that words touching the skin have a particular power.
The concept of equality of rights we tend to think of a modern idea, whatever the particular struggle being suprused. However, the battle to establish freedom, rights and equiality is as ancient as civilization itself, and a battle still only half won.
The Latin word Aequalitas was a rallying cry in ancient Rome; in French, egalite was the cry of the Revolution; in Enlgish, equlaity was a central tenant of the American Declaration of Independence. In the 21st century, equality is the modern symbol of the Human Rights Campaign.
In Latin, there are many words for equality, with differing shades of meaning. Aequalitas specifically refers to equality of rights.
This bold modern ring has been engraved in the same letterform as the inscription on Trajan’s Column in Rome, an elegant classical script worthy of the importance of its message and of being worn with pride.
A bunch of us went out for drinks and food, and two friends asked to see my ring, and strangely (to them), I wouldn’t take it off. Part of course, is that I didn’t want to have to explain everything about it, but I also like the idea of keeping the word close to my skin.
All my best,
The King of Spades
