I, like many of you, love to take a break from the hustle
and bustle of daily life and travel. Now
that I am a father of three children under the age of 9, I felt an obligation
to take my children on an “All American Family Vacation” this summer. So naturally, my wife and I decided to take
our children to a place where they could witness a re-enacted suicide by
hanging, skeletons impaled on the end of a pirate’s saber, a duel at twenty
paces that results in a man shot to death, a Victorian mansion teeming with
enough paranormal activity to make James Wan wet the bed, assorted cemeteries, and
dozens of assorted skulls, bones, and body parts strewn about. Before you contemplate calling the local
bureau of Child Protective Services, let me clarify…we took our kids to
Disneyland.
Yes, Disneyland. The
“Happiest Place on Earth”. The jewel of
Southern California. I’m a tremendous fan
of Walt Disney and his vision of entertainment.
He conceived a place built on imagination, fantasy, and dreams. Sometimes your imagination, fantasy, and
dreams can take you to a darker place.
What’s great about what Walt Disney believed is that a darker place can
be inspiring and fun. To my 5 year old
son, getting into a slow-moving boat for a ride in the dark to visit the world
of pirates in the Caribbean flew in the face of the lessons we have been
teaching him about being safe and staying out of trouble. To my 8 year old daughter, actually standing
in line to go inside a truly Haunted
Mansion, was a little too much to comprehend.
Then, after a quick lunch in Tomorrowland, we made them wait their turn to
battle the real Darth Vader in the Jedi Training Academy. Quite a day.
It reminded me of why I love a good horror movie. I dig the nervous anticipation I get before
the theater darkens. I like the way my
pulse will quicken at a well written musical score. I love the visceral reaction I can get at
well designed and executed special effects.
When it is all over, I appreciate my relief that it was all just a movie
and my life is my own again as I walk to my car.
There is a sign posted over the main entrance of
Disneyland. It reads “Here you leave
today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.” It is the happiest place on Earth, but you
never know what might be lurking around the corner!
Sleep tight,
Brian
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