You’re Not Alone #005
“A Need for Clarification”
Rather than serve as a catalyst for substantive and amusing community-driven discussions, the latest YNA segments have been misinterpreted as deliberately antagonistic. This has NEVER been my goal.
My intent with #001 & #004 (in addition to intermittent future installments) was to build on an idea that would culminate in a milestone article (maybe #025) that focused on how the often-criticized “impersonal Disney machine” is a misnomer. Say what you will about the corporate monster, but the Disney parks are some of the few places on earth where tens-of-thousands of people can safely gather, interact and witness lives outside their own. And in an atmosphere where everyone is looking for happiness! What a treat to be able to enjoy and observe your fellow man, the positive and negative alike. More often than not, I’ve found, it’s usually those bad experiences that give rise to my more positive and deeper reflections. This is personified in the old adage, “You can’t point at someone without having three fingers pointing back at you.” With each article of this nature it was my hope to inspire others on the message board to share their own interpersonal tales –positive or negative– and discuss what it means to spend the day with 70,000 strangers.
The Disney experience is indeed VERY personal, but I feel we should also take a moment to look outside ourselves and contemplate what it means to be a human among humans. Beyond my Disney visits and the occasional trip to the store, I don’t get away from my desk much. Can any of us anymore? The crowded sea of heads down Main Street USA shouldn’t be discouraging (“Oh, crap, how am I ever going to get to Space Mountain?!”), it should inspire awe that so many different people –with unique perspectives on topics such as constant entertainment and personal hygiene– can come together under the same fantastic banner of INTERACTIVE entertainment.
I am not a Disney curmudgeon. I loathe Disney curmudgeons. In fact, due to my Ghost of Christmas Present-like attitude, I consider myself to merely be a light-hearted and enthusiastic theme park patron. (What does all this have to do with Disney? Everything. “Have you had many brothers, Spirit?” “More than 70,000 a visit,” said the Ghost.)
So, lets move on, have some fun and celebrate ALL the things that make up a Disney experience. And as you know, if you revel in the fact that the Disney parks are places where we are able to comfortably enjoy, observe and learn from mankind –face-to-face, you’re not alone.
–Chris
RetroDISNEY
“Celebrate the future of Yesteryear!”
