I grew up in Southern California, home of Walt Disney. As a youngster, I was fascinated by pyrate things, just didn't connect it all until I grew older. In the same Disney vein, the Pirates of the Caribbean movie kicked over something in my brain which turned pyrate stuff into the forefront of several things in my life. Peter Pan has always been one of my favorite movies due to Captain Hook and his pyrate clan.
Unlike many here, I'm not into pyrates for re-enactment purposes and have to be stuck on what is "period" and what is not. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just don't get caught up in it. It's more a childhood fantasy thing which is strange to say bein' that I'm 30 years old.