What is Piratude?
To put it simply, Piratude is a combination of two words (Pirate + Attitude). On the surface that seems pretty self-explanatory so why am I here trying to define it further? Furthermore, how is having a pirate attitude useful for working parents?
Pirates Have Piratude
If you happen to be my daughter, you think Piratude looks like this picture of a pirate.
But other than the fun of dressing up as a pirate for Halloween, how does the idea of piracy fit into every day life. [By the way, we are not talking about the kind of piracy that will get you in hot water with the FBI Anti-Piracy Warnings you see before a movie].
No, the fact remains that the more I go through the hustle and bustle of everyday life with kids, a husband, and a full-time job the more I have noticed some stark similarities between motherhood and being a pirate.
Pirates get a bad rap – always pillaging, stealing, and doing all sorts of immoral things in the pursuit of treasure.
Let’s look at this a bit further from the viewpoint of a pirate value system. Pirates value treasure, the wonderful pleasures of life (e.g. drinking, eating, playing, loving) and having free reign to do as they please.
Who does this remind you of? Toddlers!
As any mother or father with a few months under his or her belt will tell you, children are hedonistic. They are always in the pursuit of pleasure and self-indulgent to a fault (they off-set this by being adorable and sweet a few times a day). It helps moms and dads from not making their children walk the plank.
We have established that children can have a pirate attitude (AKA Piratude), but what about mom and dad? As adults, we yearn for the freedoms we once had as children. We have jobs, bills, budgets, field-trip forms that need to be signed, plants that must be watered, and on and on and on. Sometimes it’s hard to see the ocean for the droplets of water in front of us.
Let’s look at the values of pirates we outlined earlier:
Treasure
Pirates have treasure and so do adults. What you define as treasure will be different from what your neighbor or your co-worker values. My treasures include my three beautiful children, my close friends, my handsome hubby, our family vacation albums, my silly standard poodle, and more.
Take a moment to think about (or maybe jot down) your most valued treasures. It’s pretty easy isn’t it?
You would do anything to protect your treasures! You are a pirate for those you love.
Life’s Pleasures
Children don’t have the market cornered on gravitating toward the pleasures in life. However, as an adult, you start to value people, building memories, and living in a way that lowers stress and increases happiness.
Yes, some adults can find themselves drawn to collecting more worldly things:
Stylish purses, cute shoes , sports cars, tiny figurines, the latest fashions, that big stack of cookbooks or the overflowing bookcase. All of these are amazing in small doses. You don’t need to feel guilty about any of it. If it’s adding to the fun quotient in your life and you can afford it, it’s totally OK.
It is absolutely true that too much of a good thing can be trouble and become addictive – gambling, alcohol, drugs, even those cute shoes. However, that’s not what reveling in life’s pleasures is really about.
To take advantage of the good things in life, you have to be in control. Hanging out in Las Vegas is perfectly fine as long as you do not gamble away the mortgage payment!
Enjoying a margarita accentuates the wonderful day you are having at the beach. Drink too many and you can’t even remember the beach.
It’s easy. Piratude is about sampling life’s pleasures in moderation.
It’s about taking a few moments to really appreciate that warm hug from your 2nd grader at pickup, your dog’s almost uncontrollable joy at seeing you take out the leash, talking to your mother about her memories of her mother, and the smell of warm cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven (yes, even the kind that come in tubes from the grocery store).
Free Reign
I would love to tell you that having Piratude means that you can quit your job, charter a yacht, and purchase an island off the Keys. Unfortunately, as adults we realize there are limits to our dreams (or at the very least, our pocketbooks). Though you might not ever own a catamaran, you can still be free.
FREE of other’s expectations
FREE to say what you mean
FREE to follow your own “selfish” pursuits
FREE to raise your children as you deem fit
FREE to fail
FREE to work in a manner that makes you happy
FREE to live a life you want
This little corner of the Internet will focus on the value of Piratude (the Pirate Attitude) for working moms, dads, and anyone who is tired of feeling guilty for wanting a bit of freedom and happiness. We are going to apply this attitude to everything – parenting, working, shopping, decorating, renovating, and traveling. Join us!
