Monday, November 30, 2009

A First Trip to Disney

One of my guilty pleasures in life is Disneyland. I had the fortune of visiting several times when I was a kid, often to accompany my grandmother who was a nationally renowned ceramics judge. The artifacts from those trips soon filled my bedroom in many different manifestations, examples including: a map of the park on my bedroom wall that was updated each year with new additions both bad (Mickey's Toontown) and good (Splash Mountain), a Peter Pan hat with my name stitched into it, and a plush animal of the winged furby-like creature from Captain EO. Thinking about it, it seems that Disneyland was the glue that is holding most of my childhood memories together. The trips I took there act as landmarks in my head as I navigate the timeline of my youth.

As childhood habits are hard to drop, it should come as no surprise that I still love Disneyland: a requirement in my spouse was that she would allow me to take her there for a honeymoon (which she did), I listen to recordings of Disneyland songs occasionally when I am working, and I have 2 trips planned there in the next 4 months. But I often wish I could go back to see my reaction after my first trip. I always feel that Disneyland must be too much for any kid to handle -- it is so unlike reality, so amazingly magical. When was it that I was sold on the experience? Did I understand right after my first trip or did it take me a few times through?

My niece Leah recently took her first trip to The Magic Kingdom at Disney World. This story gives me a glimpse of what it must be like to go to a Disney Park for the first time. There is a mix of excitement, fear, and just plain old being a kid.

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Why tell our stories?

Telling stories is a tremendous validation of the vitality and importance of each one of our lives. The oral traditions of many societies throughout time have been the primary vehicle for cultural transference. It is an incredibly powerful tool, and one that I have never overlooked. I consider myself a storyteller--and I often find that I am telling other people's stories. So, why not create a forum, like so many others have done, to do that?

In thinking about our friends, family, and ethereal wanderings in the abstract, we realize that our comprehensive life experiences are worth documenting. The purpose of the discourse on this blog is simple and indulgent--but not selfishly so. We want to glorify the everyday (and not so everyday) experiences that each of us traverse so that we can look forward to each and every simple day in the future.