The other night, while taking turns with my wife holding the girls as we watched tv, it struck me that there are so many stories they don't know yet. We all know our favourite stories, whether they be movies, books or tv shows. They're ingrained into our personal and collective consciousness.
But our girls don't have that yet. They're not even 4 weeks old. Literally everything in the world is new to them.
Two things occur to me.
The first is how lucky they are, that they get to discover all these stories for the first time. They get to lean forward and bite their lips as Luke Skywalker switches off his targetting computer. They get to hide behind their hands as Indiana Jones realises how to survive the opening of the Ark of the Covenant. They get to hold their breath as Mary McFly races the DeLorean to meet the channelling lightning bolt. I'm good getting lost in a story, so I can get caught up in these moments easily, but nothing will ever quite match those first times.
The second is, when do Jen and I properly introduce them to these stories? When they're still very small and can grow up with an inherent knowledge of them? Or when they're just a little older and can become properly caught up in the drama and excitement?
What I wouldn't give to see my favourite movies for the first time again. Are there any of you who feel the same?
Edit to add: All this week, Locked Within is available free on Kindle. Currently it's at number 6 in Free Urban Fantasy. Who wants to help get it to number 1?
Jan 8, 2013
First Time For Stories
Paul Anthony Shortt believes in magic and monsters. In ghosts and fairies. The creatures that lurk under the bed and inside the closet. The things that live in the dark, and the heroes who stand against them. Above all, he believes that stories have the power to change the world, and the most important stories are the ones which show that monsters can be beaten.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
On Christmas day we introduced our four year old to the Princess Bride. It was a pretty fantastic experience. He woke his dad a few days later by jumping on him and shouting 'my name in Indigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die'. I wasn't around, but I hear the re-enacted the whole scene.
ReplyDelete