In fact as I'm writing this, I can hear her talking to her friends now.
But recently, after watching Peter Pan, she looked at me and said, "I want to play with Peter Pan for real."
Don't we all.
Well, we do as a kid. Neverland is literally a magically place, fairies, pirates, mermaids all sorts of cool things. You can fly, you're life is never really in danger, just child-like peril where you never think of the consequences of your adventures.
Yep, as I kid I ached for my imaginary friends to be real. She-ra, Thundercat, Voltron, why couldn't I be that cool. They seemed so real to me, why did I have to go school with kids who didn't have magical powers?
Then came the feel that I was special too. I had to be. That's what EVERY cartoon told me. That's what my mom told me.
Growing up I looked at my 5th place ribbons and thought, well someone has to come in 5th place.
In my adult years more harsh reality hit and I thought, "just because you work hard at something doesn't mean you're good at it."
Wow... Peter Pan was right, growing up sucks. It's so negative.
Screw this, I'm off to help my daughter fight Captain Hook, that guy keeps stealing my puffy hats and leather boots.
(Ok fine--- I dress more like Smee)
But Smee is WAY more comfortable.
BTW-- Does anyone know why all the old Disney movies were set in England in the 1900-1930's?
For the Disney question, I think because that book was by a Scottish writer but set in London. 101 dalmatians was also set in london... maybe disney was and anglophile?
ReplyDeleteSmee was much more comfortable.
*an* Anglophile
ReplyDeleteI remember wishing so hard that I had mutant powers like the X-men haha. Or that I could just find that faerie I KNEW had to be there.
ReplyDeleteI'll be sad the day my daughter doesn't believe in those magical things anymore. But who knows, she might be like me and keep on believing anyway =P
Um, this post depressed me until you mentioned Smee. Because that name just makes me laugh no matter what.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up can be kind of sucky, but then again, you get to do things that you can't do as kids. And as an adult you get to really choose your friends and make decisions about what you want to do without needing everyone's approval. And you can have some pretty cool kids, too.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about the perks of being a kid versus the perks of being grown up just thing morning. I have to say, on the whole... despite how much easier life seemed 'back then'... that I kind of enjoy responsiblity and maturity. If we didn't grow up we'd never achieve anything. We'd miss out on a whole wealth of opportunity and experience. So much potential would be wasted. Maybe it't the fact that I like being treated like a 'real person'. As a kid I always hated being talked down to, and now that I'm older it happens less and less.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Disney thing... I think a lot of Disney's original films were children's classics adapted by Disney. And folk tales, which often came from England but also continental Europe. I really want to re-watch Peter Pan now. One of the bad things about being grown up - it's no longer socially acceptable to watch cartoons unless you're a parent. :D