Pirate John

We love pirates! September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Johnny Depp gave us Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. Small children dress up likes pirates (and later college aged girls dress up like wenches) for Halloween.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a pirate has always been the menacing eye patch. It is a symbol of mystery, strength, and intrigue. Historically, "it has been speculated that sailors who often went above and below deck might have used an eye patch to keep one eye adjusted to the darkness below decks. The strong sunlight while above deck on an oceangoing vessel could require minutes of adaptation to the dim lighting below deck. With virtually no light sources below deck, sailors would have to rely heavily upon their eyes to adjust. In the critical moments of modifying the rigging, navigating, and especially during battle, those minutes were too precious. A simple switch of the patch from one eye to the other might have saved time when going between decks. However, this usage of the eye patch is not supported by any historical records." Courtesy of Wikipedia.

My dad has always been a man of mystery, strength, and intrigue. When we were young, he would come home with a gash on his face and tell us about how he was ambushed in the woods and had to fight off, not one, but many men armed with spears and bows and arrows. He did push ups with us on his back. He has always been a stud. And now, he is more than a stud; he is a pirate! Eye patch and all!

My dad has had 6 retinal surgeries in a little over a year, with his most recent being today. Part of the recovery process is spending two weeks with your head face down. And no flying or travelling over mountain passes for three months. That means no skiing (maybe in the spring!) with all of the new snow.

It may sound like my dad is missing out on some things, but he has a great attitude and is reveling in his new found "pirate-ness". I think he looks awfully fierce. Looking like a pirate is a good consolation for any surgery.

And he has an excuse to talk like a pirate now. :)