As a child, we enjoyed almost weekly trips to Adventure Land
Video located inside the Five Point Mall not too far from our home. With each visit, my two brothers and I
were allowed to rent one video each which we would then watch over and over and
over until our Mom returned them to the store a few days later. There was
always a bit of strategy at play involved with our selections and our family
had some perennial favorites rentals. Two classics rentals have magically
returned to the forefront of my mind over the last few months…Walt Disney’s
Bedknobs and Broomsticks the ever-popular Mary Poppins. I love these two
classics films and all that they represent about creativity, storytelling and
childhood. Both films blend catchy songs, classic animation, and strongly
connected siblings who bond together on various adventures. These films became
childhood staples thanks to the brilliant performance of Angela Lansbury and
Julie Andrews. Burke and I watched these movies a few weeks ago (yes, we are
that lame) and were both reminded of happy memories of our individual
childhoods. These films shaped how we saw the world during the development
years and as adults we were became grateful for the inspirational concepts and story
arcs that only grow up can understand and appreciate. I love the low-tech
special effects. I love that for days after I was humming the music and singing
the lyrics. Several years ago, while vacationing in London my heart leaped when
I saw the streets of London and the very steps where troubled Mr. Banks pauses
to “feed the birds.” And, I’ve never stopped dreaming of and looking for a
brass bed of my very own. I guess there is just part of me that still hopes the
act of twisting a loose bedknob and faithfully singing about “Treguna Mekoides
and Tracorum Satis Dee” would actually transport us from the worries of adult
life to the magic of the “beautiful briny, shimmering shiny, beautifully briny
sea.” And in the last few months, I have easily identified a few modern day
Mary Poppins’ in my life…you know those “practically perfect in every way” kind
of mentors who gracefully float into your life at just the right time and
magically provide the perfect emotional elixir--all the while prompting hope,
hard work, respect for all, and skillfully reminds you that its not only
important but its critical to take time “feed birds” and that I really do “love
to laugh.” God bless Walt Disney and all whose hard work and creativity make a
grown woman stop and think.
No comments:
Post a Comment