Aurora Magazine 2020

Aurora

Captain Hook Elizabeth Boyer

Captain Hook, that surly old cod fish. Peter Pan won’t leave him alone! He doesn’t just fight him, he embarrasses him. He annoys him. He makes it his point to ruin Captain Hook’s day. It’s all in a good day’s fun for the boy-who-will-never-grow-up. On behalf of all adults, parents, especially parents, go to your room and just be quiet, Peter. I love my kids. I love most kids. I love them so much that I was willing to take my three and combine them with my partner’s five. If you are lacking in the math department, that is eight kids. I have my own lost boys, well boys and girls. If you don’t have kids, let me explain a few things for you. The first is that kids are loud. Yes, yes, what about brother’s and sisters? What about babysitting? No. The answer is no, you don’t understand. If you have siblings, you are part of the loud problem. If you have babysat, you give them back. Kids will keep going when you tell them to stop. Your own kids know your stress buttons, and they shall use them until they stick often. Sometimes those buttons will stick for several days. I don’t begrudge Captain Hook a cannon ball or two. I even have a few moments where that bomb he dropped into Peter Pan’s hideout seems more than appropriate. After a few“stop hitting your brother, just eat your food, what did I just say?” and several other continuously used phrases, I simply wonder if that bomb was a representation of his mental state. My kids all are unique. Each has their own talents, likes, dislikes, favorite foods, least favorite foods. It’s an amazing combination, but

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