Blame it on Mickey

I figured it out today. I was thinking about my life as it is currently, and about how my childhood has affected it. There are certain things in my life which I know stem from my childhood, this is one of them.

People find motivation in many things. Some are inspired by encouragement, some by discouragement, but most of us can relate to the inspiration that comes from seeing a dream realized. I was young. I can't remember the exact age, but I wasn't old enough to walk the neighborhood alone yet. At such an early age, my parents were grooming for success. I was to find motivation in the realization of a dream, even at such an early age.

The family was going to visit Disney. Hoping I'd avoid finding my inspiration from Goofey, my parents quickly outfitted Jason and I with Mickey ears (customized with our names) so that our love for him and his happy going ways would take reign over the rest of the Disney crowd. My dad wasn't about to raise a princess, and my mom already had all the goofs she needed in her husband.

So we were off, both parents with a mission of motivation for me and my brother. I can still imagine their thought process. "After this trip, the boys are going to change their ways" a hopeful mom explained to her husband while packing. "I hope that Jason will become man enough to stop wetting the bed on purpose."

Dad's reply was the more realistic tone you'd always expect. "It's time for them to see the real world. I still don't know why we are taking them to this fantasy land. There isn't anything wrong with them a day at the gun range wouldn't cure." It came with the tone that was serious enough to be remembered, but awkward enough to be considered sarcastic. You just didn't know what he was really trying to say.

His real motives weren't clear at this point, but dad understood that a visit to the land of his honeymoon could only end in the thing all men would want at this point. A couple of hours free from the kids, and a hotel room with cable. Let mom deal with the rides, dad just wanted a nap.

The family was off. It was another car trip. Not as long as the treks across the country, but easily as memorable. Nathan would annoy Jason, Jason would lash out, Jason would get in trouble. It was a behavior cycle that would be repeated throughout life, though it wouldn't take long before Jason wasn't getting in trouble any longer. Dad learned the best response later in life, saying to Jason, "Deal with it." This response never eased fear in Nathan's mind, but always calmed the situation.

We arrived at Disney. Again, striving to avoid negative heroes, we bypassed the up front parking found in Goofey's lot, and chose the far lot of Mickey. The tram ride was the kids' first experience of amusement park freedom. We sat a whole row in front of the parents. Dad would take this opportunity (the first of many) to put his arm around his wife, an experience only outnumbered by the number of pictures he would take with his camera (us kids were still cute at this age).

It was a day filled with rides, junk food, sun, cartoon mascots, tantrums, and more rides. The electric lights night show would leave techno music in the head and a churro on the taste buds while we would return to the hotel for the night.

We spent the next day at Epcot. Jason enjoyed learning. Nathan looked for anything fun to do. Intellectual day was a pretty uneventful day. Jason inspired to learn, Nathan inspired to sleep. Lessons that continued throughout high school.

Finally came Universal Studios. Here is where the most important lesson was ingrained. Jason and Nathan fell in love with movies. How can you not when you ride a train that is attacked both by a shark, and sent into a subway for an earthquake at the same time. This unrealistic view of life gave us everything we were looking for. The out from reality.

And somehow, this isn't the life lesson I learned from this trip. Another, has been looming beneath the surface of all areas of this vacation story. Maybe the picture below will help all of you understand the most important life lesson learned from my childhood trip to Disney.

Popcorn can be a meal! And you better let me eat mine.