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| Disney's Peter Pan |
"Peter Pan" is a marvelous children's story. I've read it, seen it, listened to it, and thoroughly enjoyed it in every form. But, I think we have it wrong. It's not a children's story at all. It's a story for adults. You see, we all grow up eventually. Sometimes our body doesn't know it quite yet, and other times our minds conveniently forget. But, at some point we must make peace with the face that we will never again be children. Sure, we can act like kids, but we'll never be them again.
Why is "the boy who never grew up" such a classic character? I think it's because he represents the desire we all have of capturing the innocence, fun, and playfulness of our youth. He's a prankster, adventurous, unafraid, and has a magical fairy friend. Everything he does is exiting. He can fly! Peter Pan incorporates our wildest dreams, plus he never has to worry about getting older. He even has an arch enemy he regularly duels and defeats! How fun it would be to win every fight.
The thing is, though, at the end of Peter Pan, even that magical boy is slapped in the face with reality. Wendy grows up, while he remains a child. The biggest lesson is that being a child is simply a stage, one that must end as we mature. Sure, we have wistful dreams of our youth, but I would never exchange that for my wife or children. I'm glad I grew up, and I'll wager you are too.
- M
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