Posts Tagged movies

In an effort to further peel back the curtain and grant a glimpse of my personal life, part of my new years resolution to post more content on this blog, I offer the following:

Last night I sent an email to a friend of mine whining about how each day seems to bring fresh new evidence of how little I really know.

The two examples I gave were the crocodile from Peter Pan and the pen knife.  You all probably know this already but the crocodile who swallowed the clock and chases Hook from one end of Neverland to the other, represents time or mortality and its relentless pursuit of man, hunting him down with a tick tick tick until he is finally chomped.  The pen knife on the other hand, is called a pen knife because it was originally used to sharpen quills, the original pens.

I’ve seen Peter Pan as well as Hook numerous time and never made the connection.  I’ve owned and used pen knives for years and never wondered why it was called a pen knife.  How I can be thirty eight years old and this ignorant is beyond me.

So I fired off an email from my phone to a friend, lamenting my retched state.  Did he offer a Socratic pronouncement about how the road to wisdom begins with a humble acknowledge of one’s own ignorance?  No. Instead he sent this:

Not a lot of hope for you, I’m afraid. You’re telling me that – when considering the story of an ageless, forever-boy, who lives in “Neverland,” the idea that a ticking clock in the bowels of a reptilian monster represents mortality – this idea never occurred to you?

And as far as the etymology of “pen knife” goes, a passing familiarity with Old French should suffice to inform the average observer that the word penne – meaning the feather of a bird, or quill – had simply been contracted in English to ‘pen’ to describe the writing instrument of the past. Sheesh!

I suppose its helpful to know, prior to digitally self immolating via email, which friends throw water and which throw gas.

That being said, I will conclude by offering a movie recommendation for Finding Neverland.  A little late to the party, I know, but it really is a wonderful movie and if you have not seen it, rent it. Prepare to cry like a baby, not a croc.

Which reminds me, RIP Steve, life was better with you around.