Peter Pan Character Sketch

So in case you hadn't noticed... I've been on a Peter Pan kick lately. And by "lately," I mean the last eighteen years of my life. If my life was a book, Peter Pan would be a motif.

I must remember that when I write my memoir.

ANYWAYS.

I wrote this a while back and thought some of you out there in the Bloggerverse might find it entertaining. In Creative Writing last year we got outlines for writing character sketches, and one night I just felt like filling one out for Peter. Some of it is J.M. Barrie canon material and some of it is purely my imagination. I think it's kind of witty in places, if I do say so myself, so here it is.

Name: Peter Pan

Birthplace: London, England

Gender: Male

Appearance: Red-gold hair, green eyes, about 5’1”, skinny, still has all baby teeth, clothes made out of leaves, thin lips, freckles, barefoot, usually semi-dirty

Self image: Simply the greatest thing ever to grace the universe

Age: At least one year older than the oldest child present. (But for real, nearly thirteen. He doesn’t know that though.)

Health: Pristine

Addictions: Adventure and general mischief

Siblings: A nameless little brother, for whom he feels only contempt and a twinge of jealousy (although he’d never admit to that part)

Close Relationships: Tinker Bell, whom he often takes for granted, but actually cares for quite deeply; the Lost Boys, whom he sees as his disciples, of a sort; Hook—he values their rivalry and probably wouldn’t know what to do with himself without him.

Memory of father: Talking about what he was to be when he became a man.

Memory of mother: Lullabies

First love: Tinker Bell. He’s half in love with her but he’ll never know it, being twelve. He would answer that girls don’t have as much fun as boys. Too clean.

Current Home: The Neverland—second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning. Specifically, his hideout under a hollow tree (with the Lost Boys… but naturally it’s really all his). His own quarters w/in the hideout are enclosed by a red curtain and contain a hammock, a variety of stolen pirate swords and treasures, a niche in the wall for Tinker Bell, and several other treasures. 

Ideal home: Why, his current one, of course. If it weren’t, he’d move to his ideal one.

First job: Jobs are for grown-ups.

First memory: His first laugh as an infant (or so he claims. But it’s Peter, so who really knows?)

Worst memory: When Tink died.

Most haunting memory: Nothing haunts Peter Pan. He’s far too forgetful for that.

Favorite music: His pipes.

Least favorite music: Anything that’s not his pipes (unless, of course, he’s playing the instrument, in which place it is again his favorite).

Favorite/least favorite books: Books are for grownups.

Favorite activity: Flying, fighting Hook, taunting Hook, narrowly escaping Hook…

Least favorite activity: Anything boring or grownupish

Recurring dream/nightmare: Who knows? You’ll never get him to admit he even sleeps, much less dreams.

Areas of expertise: In his mind, everything there ever was ever. But honestly, he can fly. And for a kid he’s a sword-fighting prodigy. He would also like me to mention that he’s never lost at hide-and-go-seek.

Knowledge wished: Absolutely nothing. He thinks he knows everything.

Deepest fulfilled desire: Neverland. It’s his island, after all. 

Deepest unfulfilled desire: Honestly, he’s very static. The doesn’t want anything, and there’s nothing he would change. A little boy’s “deep” desires change so randomly day to day that there’s no way to pin one down for Peter.

Prized possession: Neverland. It’s his island, after all. 

Jealous of: No one. Or everyone. Depends on his mood.

Proud of: Himself. His cleverness. His many abilities. His extraordinariness. His ability to fight pirates at age twelve. His shadow. Need I go on?

Most adventurous travel: When you live in Neverland, travel no longer seems very adventurous. Quite the opposite, really. 

Biggest current disappointment: Disappointment is for grownups.

Reason for living: It’s an awfully big adventure.

Possible reason for dying: It’s an awfully big adventure.

The Island Come True

"Thus sharply did the terrified three learn the difference between an island of make-believe and the same island come true." -J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Well, gentle reader, I went to college. Sorry I haven't blogged in nearly two months. I shall try to do better. 

I'm not entirely sure what I expected of college, but it's safe to say it's not this. Not that it's bad. I feel like I've had nearly a lifetime in this past month since I got here. I've gone through every emotion from confusion to ecstasy to heartbreak to homesickness, and I don't see this thrill ride of feelings stopping anytime soon. However, God has become my rock more than ever-- He is always here, He always will be here, and He never changes. And that is certainly a comforting thought.

My basic habits themselves have reversed. The first week or so I, a self-proclaimed night owl, reveled in the thought of staying up absolutely as late as I wanted. I didn't go to bed til one at all that week. The next week, all I wanted was to be in bed by ten. Worse, after being disorganized all my life, I have taken to writing to-do lists and cleaning my room everyday. WHO AM I?!?!?!?

I was blessed with a fantastic roommate, Amy, and two wonderful suitemates, Kelsey and Sarah. I didn't fully realize how wonderful they were until one of our first nights here, when the bathroom door on our side of the suite refused to open. With two of us on each side, we proceeded to try and break the door down. After many failed attempts, Kelsey tried to turn the knob again, and it just opened. We must have scared the door into submission. We cheered raucously in our victory... at least until the RA reminded us via intercom that it was quiet hour. J.K. Rowling says in the first Harry Potter book that there are some things you can't do together without becoming friends afterwards, and knocking out a mountain troll is one of them. Well, so is opening a stubborn bathroom door.

As to classes there have been relatively few mishaps. I say relatively because one Friday Amy and I slept until 11:30. Our first class is at 8. If you're gonna go, go all the way. 

In our defense, it only happens every once in a blue moon. No, seriously. That Friday was a blue moon. :)

Last weekend, I had the marvelous opportunity to speak at the God's Girls Rally in Ada, Oklahoma. I got to talk about the book of Esther and it was just wonderful. My mommy flew out to drive Amy and I down, so I got to spend the weekend with her, which was much needed. This whole being away from home thing is fun for a while, but sometimes you just need a hug from Mom.

:'(

Anyways.

I have figured out why people gain the freshman fifteen! It's because nothing in the cafeteria is particularly good except for the ice cream. (That's not entirely true, though. I've had an omelet almost every day since I've been here. I figured out about a week in that if you ask for real eggs, they give them to you. But you have to ask, or else they'll give you the egg from a carton. I felt smart figuring this out so fast.)

I have had two auditions since I've been here: one for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and another for a couple of one-acts. I am not in the musical, but I am in a one-act called The Snow Show. It's all very Charlie Brownish and adorable. I get a great monologue about whether or not I should stick my tongue to a telephone pole. 

One important fact you should know about Harding is that there are squirrels. Everywhere. They are crazy psycho awesome squirrels. They'll run right up to you. You remember the squirrels in The Sword and the Stone when Merlin turns Wart and himself into squirrels and the lady squirrel falls in love with Wart and then he turns back into a human and she cries? That's what the squirrels remind me of.

I'm really wrestling with what I want to do with my life. Obviously, I want to write, but there's not really any money in that, and I have to eat somehow. Teaching seems the logical choice for an English major, but I don't want to do something I don't really love just because I feel like I have no other options. I have no idea what's going to happen in the next four years, and it's a little bit intimidating. I'm glad God knows what's going on, because I have no clue.

Among other things, I have colored four pictures for my wall, four more to send to friends (as soon as I buy envelopes), gotten some of my Christmas shopping out of the way (I'm an overachiever), memorized Mark 1:1-15, read two books, painted my nails multiple times, won second prize at a club mixer for my awesome costume (I was Peter Pan), won a free t-shirt for my correct spelling of "camaraderie," converted Amy and Rachel to watching That Girl, eaten entirely too much Ben and Jerry's (Half Baked, if you wanted to know), drunk (drank?) Mexican coke (aka Coke with REAL SUGAR, in a GLASS BOTTLE), eaten multiple Chick-fil-a Chicken Biscuits, played in the Lily Pond, bought a new Beatles shirt, and caught the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka on television from the beginning. I have not walked under the Bell Tower (alone or accompanied) or touched the pregnant tree.

I think that minus the classes, Peter Pan would have rather liked college. 

To live will be an awfully big adventure.