By Hook or By Crook

The captain was not so much adored as he was feared. He was a brilliant man, very handy and a learned fellow. If you dare cross him so much as an inch, your heart could pound out of your skull for fear of catching against his sharp weapon of a limb. His methods were far superior and complex to the ones that other sea captains shared to train the crew.

***

Fear does not begat success. Fear manifests. Fear envelops and crushes dreams.

I was afraid to fly. Peter told me to think lovely thoughts. He was right. I saw myself flying and I did. 

When my father tried to teach me, he shouted instructions on how to jump on the wind's back, which way to turn and how to steer. It was far more simple than that.

My nerves and anxiety, my fear, held me down straight to the concrete ground. His shouting made me choke on the fear bubbling up inside me.

It pulled me further and further, deeper and deeper until I drowned underneath the tar like quicksand.

The streets of Brooklyn were cold and hard. The blacktop sea swirled beneath my feet.

I kept a steady eye ahead and a sturdy grip on the handle bars. I peddled and pushed off, flying through the air, the wind whipping my face in the crisp September breeze.

A smile played across my lips when I realized what was happening.

I'm flying! Peter was right. 

The Lost Boys Credo

"I won't grow up. Not me".

"Not I".

"Not me. So there!". Never gonna be a man, no you won't.

Oh how I'd love to see somebody try and make you turn into a man, Gabriel.

From this day forth, I've sworn off Lost Boys...

***

Gabriel was such a lovely boy, so much talent and potential. He needed a friend, an advisor or guide more than ever as he shut out the world and spiraled downward trying to escape to his own Neverland in pure isolation. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake the apathy, all the cobwebs and dust and tumbleweeds out of his neglected head.

How do you explain to someone they don't ever have to leave Neverland, but we must all, in some aspect, grow up.

Perhaps some pirate wisdom would do him good...

Exerpt from "Tiger Lily's Treasures"

It all started one day

When I met Cap’n James and he shook me out of my shell

“You’ve got talent”, he said “So use you’re friggin’ head

You’ll waste your youth n’ life if you don’t use it well”

“Quit those raves and the parties

Start bein’ the smarty your parents are so proud of inside”

Use those thoughts in your head and jot them down with a pen”

So I did and it brought me great pride

But you can't make a Lost Boy grow up. 

So farewell, fair Gabriel. Peace be with you. Namaste.

Tiger Lily, Not A Wendy

Going back home to The Jolly Roger wasn't always so pleasant. I wrinkled my nose at the message from the captain beckoning me back home to the ship. Peter could see the fear and sadness in my eyes as they glimmered from a tinge of welling tears.

"Be careful, Wendy", Peter said.

“I’m not a Wendy, I’m Tiger Lily”, I corrected him. 

I made a war-face to remind him of the fierce warrior princess. 

Wendy Darling was a dear, but she was never my style. I was always a tomboy, never cared for chasing boys. I much preferred face-to-face battles and sword fighting. Wendy always waited for Peter to save her in the end. 

It's time to grow from a blushing flower into a hunter, a fighter, a 'take no prisoners and no bullsh*t' kind of lady.

Enter: Pirates.

Lesson #1: Shed No Tear and Show No Fear

Interview with a Pirate

"How does one become a pirate?" I inquired.

"You simply are one", he said. "Do you have a pair of boots?"

"Yes".

Do you have an animal of some sort?

"Yes".

"Care for some whiskey?"

"Oh, no thank you. I really shouldn't. It makes me mean." I thought back to the time I downed some Jameson and chewed out my ex-boyfriend years ago. Gave him a right good verbal lashing, I did. I smiled at the bitter-sweet memory.

"Mean...or aggressive?"

Hmm...maybe the whiskey gave me courage to stand up for myself. The fire-water allowed me to take back my dignity, pride and self worth with a sharp tongue. A pirate would never take that kind of bullocks from anybody.

"I would love a swig, thank you". This was a sufficient answer to his inquiry.

***

The life of a pirate...sounds like the life to live, no?

Slugging whiskey, pillaging and chanting, donning leather and feathers, animal hides and skulls.

That's the life for me...

Pirates live the life of adventure and exploration. Pirates in the simplest sense, get what they want.

They don't sit on their boat and think about how to live.

Pirates act, do, and be. How else can they survive?

They seek treasure and hoard, steal, hunt, navigate, and kill to find it, any way possible at any cost.

In summation, Pirates get sh*t done.

I wonder if they drink lots of coffee.