The Deep Meaning of Disney

Well, it's been another crazy trip.  Here I am with a hippo skull at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  I must admit I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. We made it through with only a moderate bout of stomach flu at the end-poor Lucy-I think we'll be able to make the plane tomorrow.  We had sun, blue sky, and about 70 degrees the whole time.  No travel drama really, but some big, unexpected crowds at Disney.  Economy be damned!

More than anything I've been struck by why my expectations were so low for this first trip to Disney with my girls.  I have tried hard to limit media exposure, to encourage "natural" play, to promote a love of the outdoors, and to cultivate the unfettered development of their imaginations through reading, art, and spontaneous experiences that don't need the facilitator of animation or other kidcentric media.  In fact, my one and only tv is in a corner covered by a cloth.  It appears only for special occasions.  I don't have cable.  Despite all this, I found myself having a good time at Disney and not falling into my typical cynical diatribe about the corruption of the Grimm fairy tales and commercialization of childhood-the co-opting and commodification of creativity, and so on....Folks, it costs $1000 for 4 people to experience Disney for 3 days!

Then I received an email from a friend who inspired me to come back and edit this post.  I emailed her that we were at Disney.  Her response was "That sounds fun...I've heard that's the happiest place on earth!"  and I looked at my girls and thought-"Wow...for them at this moment, it clearly is the happiest place on earth." ...and full of the magic they promise.  This trip was full of happiness in a very troubled time and that as it turns out, is worth quite a lot. There are parents all over the world that can't even conceive of a trip to Disney with their children.  This fact of poverty, lack of opportunity, and inequity is never lost on me.   I guess it's okay to live the fantasy for a few whimsical days if we never forget the reality and then work to seek change.

See you soon,

cw