Tickle My Fantasy

Luke is going to be Indiana Jones for Halloween. We had been looking for a whip for his costume that is a little more realistic than the one that comes with the costume.

We thought we might find one at the St. Louis Pirate Festival. This is the first time we had attended the Pirate Festival, but it will not be our last. This festival is not only an excuse for adults to dress up like pirates, speak in accents, and behave the way pirates would have. It's a great event for kids, who are given a scavenger hunt list that takes them on a search for treasure and pirate lessons (such as knot tying). If they find ten of the twelve things on the list, they are given the pirate oath and a pirate badge.

The scavenger hunt list included several vendor booths. If you weren't planning to buy anything at the festival, the scavenger hunt list almost guaranteed your mind would be changed. While walking past one of these vendors, we spotted the perfect Indiana Jones whip hanging on the outside of the booth. The only potential problem was its length. It was meant to be carried by an adult, so I was worried Luke would trip on it. I encouraged him to go in the store and look around some for a shorter whip. He refused, saying this was the whip for him. At only $5.00, I couldn't argue.

For the first few days after its purchase, Luke would not put his whip down. Whenever he showed people his whip, John chuckled about the name of the store where it was bought.

"What?" I'd say. "It was called Tickle My Fantasy. There's definitely some fantasy involved at a festival where you get to dress like a pirate."

It took me several days to realize that Tickle My Fantasy dealt in strictly S&M products. Thank goodness Luke ignored my urgings to browse the store for a shorter whip. I would have had a hard time explaining to him why he couldn't have the leather mask and handcuffs.