15 years is a long time...

For my son's graduation from high school I took him to Walt Disney World; sort of the father / son trip. There were other trips with family, but never just the two of us in the World and goofing off. Looking back, I think that is what my son and I did best - goof off. I think most parents wished they had the ability to stop time; to capture it in a bottle. I wish I could have stopped time during that week. That we could have just kept on being two kids having a blast in my happy place. But of course, that couldn't happen.

It wasn't long after we returned from that trip that life caught up with us. His adult life began. He got married and had three great children and has gone about the business of providing and caring for his family. He served our country proudly, including a tour during the Gulf War. He sacrifices being with his family in order to provide for his family; in that he travels extensively with his job. He has a very proud father!

It is hard at times watching your children grow up. You know that their love is always there, but there needs are fewer and fewer as the years go by. You learn a different type of parenting when your children are grown. True, you have time to pursue the things you always wanted to do and perhaps you come up with a few new dreams along the way. I know that I have. But most always you're looking forward to those times you can spend with your children. You look for those occasions when new memories are created.

We just finished enjoying a Labor Day weekend and I am reminded of Labor Day two years ago. It was an occasion for new memories! I had the opportunity to fulfill two wonderful dreams that weekend. One was to take my grandchildren by the hands and walk down Main Street U.S.A.! The other was to once again to be in Walt Disney World with my son; my grown son. It took 15 years for it to come to pass, but it did, and it was wonderful!

I cried a little.

We goofed off!

A lot!

I Want To Be Like You

I grew up with The Jungle Book being one of my favorite films. I remember this as one that my father took me to see. I have several memories of this film but three in particular that I'll share here, now.

I love the song King Louie sings, I Wan'na Be Like You. Louis Prima gave a phenomenal performance. Even now, I'll be walking through the house and every now and then break out with a rousing "Ooh-ooh-ooh, I wan'na be like you-ooh-ooh."

I also like the line that Baloo speaks during the song, once he has gotten caught up in the beat, "I'm gone man, solid gone."

And finally, the vultures. "What you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" "Oh, now don't start that again."

While Devon and I were strolling through Disney's Animal Kingdom, walking from Asia to Africa, I spotted King Louie walking along a path to our right. I just couldn't help introducing my grandson to these old favoritesMore to follow...

Something On A Sunday

My Buddy - My Valentine - My Wife - My Heartbeat!

Something On A Sunday

Adventures at 12,000 feet.

"Adventure is out there!"

This weekend, Mrs. Doc and I are in Denver, Colorado visiting my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The slogan for this weekend comes from the Best Picture Academy Award nominated, "Up".

More to follow...

2009 - The Year That Was

A few days have past now since we rang in the New Year and many have given us their year in review. With that said, I thought it may now be time for me to share my summation of this past year. So without further delay let’s look at:

2009 - The Year that Was.

This year began with me thinking that I would spend more time at home, enjoying perhaps a few “Backroads Tennessee” type of trips. I know that I honestly planned for there to be just one trip to Walt Disney World. I had, after all, the privilege of going to the parks on three different occasions in 2008. The only other time I accomplished that feat, three visits in one year, was 1994.

Let me just stop here to point out that I love to travel. Yes, I have had a sense of wanderlust since 1975 following my first visit to Paris and London. And I have been blessed to have lived in Europe and to travel quite a bit. So, I was relatively content to stay at home. But now, looking back at this past year, I am surprised that I travelled as much I did.

Chalk it up to the recession. Economy collapses, airfare and hotel rates drop, and Doc hits the road. First stop Las Vegas, Nevada.

Way back in 2008 my daughter called me from Vegas, with a tear in her eye, and said, “Dad, we have got to come here and you have got to see Cirque du Soleil ‘Love’.” So we did. For my birthday we flew to Las Vegas with tickets to experience ‘Love’ on a Monday night. Please note, you don’t go see ‘Love’, you experience ‘Love’. In my opinion that is. But, on the Saturday morning before we were to fly out, our trip plan took an unexpected turn when we discovered that a few additional tickets were released to see Paul McCartney at the Hard Rock on Sunday. With that quick trip, the year would have been great if I had done nothing else; see a Beatle and a Cirque show in less than 24 hours.

But, the year didn’t end there. Now understand, going to Alaska was Mrs. Doc’s idea. She has wanted to go to Alaska for as long as I can remember, and having a few friends who have been up north a couple times, and sharing how great it was, was not helping any argument I could come up with as to why we shouldn’t go. Now I am I glad I couldn’t come up with even a bad argument.
Alaska. I can say two things about Alaska. The first is Wow! The second is that I would seriously consider living there if it wasn’t for the fact that it is 4,206.3 miles from Juneau to Lake Buena Vista and would take roughly 76 hours to drive. That is 76 hours; non-stop. It would make it very difficult to get to Walt Disney World on even a fairly regular basis. Still, it is a phenomenal place and I hope I have the opportunity to go back again; two or three times in fact. I feel about Alaska as I do about Zimbabwe. The first time I got out of the city and into the bush in Zimbabwe, I was in the place that I imagined Africa to be. Alaska is the place that I imagine true wilderness to be.
So, as I mentioned at the outset, I had only planned for one trip to Walt Disney World during the past year. But as it turned out 2009 afforded me three trips to my Laughing Place. The first was what I now call the “Papa’s Dream Come True” trip. I have already written about how walking down Main Street U.S.A. was a dream of mine ever since the birth of my first grandchild on June 5, 2000. Labor Weekend of the year saw that dream come true.
Before making the planned October trip another event took place that has quickly become one of the most memorable moments for me in recent years. That is, memorable amongst a long list of memorable moments. This time it was the honor and privilege of walking my daughter down the “aisle” for her wedding. Aisle is in parenthesis since it wasn’t so much an aisle as it was a lush walkway in one of the garden atriums at the Gaylord Opryland. And though the whole affair was one to be remembered, it was those private moments before, and the actual walk that will live forever inside of me. It was a dad walking with his little in the garden; we were laughing and playing as we strolled to her husband-to-be. If I could go back in time, if just for a moment, this would be a time I would revisit over and over. I wanted our walk to last just little longer.
The second trip to Walt Disney World was in October; the trip I had planned as a solo trip for photography and hanging out with friends. But, this plan quickly changed when my oldest grandson asked to come along. His parents said yes, and Devon and I had a great week together. I love being a grandfather! When there are five grandchildren in the family it is hard to spend a great deal with any one child for any length of time. Although I try very hard to do so. But having him along on this journey was a real treat. I got to share some of the reasons why I love Disney with one of my favorite people, and in the course of doing so, and I learned how to do some things I might ordinarily not do. Devon was taking me places and we were doing things that I had not done in what seems like forever. He taught me some things that week and that is a wonderful thing.

The third trip was the weekend prior to Christmas. I attended the Candlelight Processional in 2008 and left saying that “Mrs. Doc has got to see this!” She did, on December 21st to be precise, with one of her favorite actors, Brian Dennehy, narrating. Another thing that I enjoyed about the trip is the crowds. Okay, I don’t really enjoy the crowds, but because of the crowds doing a lot of things became problematic. I mean, a twenty minute queue for the FastPass return Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, or a five minute queue before taking the speed ramp up to the TTA, is busy. So, put simply, I was blessed with the opportunity to stroll through the places that I love with the love of my life. Not a bad way to spend a few days.

Looking forward, I don’t know how many trips I’ll manage in 2010. I know that I need to take my granddaughter, Shelby, for her solo trip with Papa. I foresee a lot of encounters with Princesses during that time. I wonder how much a trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will set me back? I also have friends from the UK coming over to visit the World and would like very much to spend a few days with them. Then too, there is a hope to see a friend that I have somehow missed going to the parks with this year; on some occasions literally within weeks of each other. The road trip west on Route 66 will need to wait until 2011 and Mrs. Doc and I are needing desparately to get back to London and Paris. That too may need to wait.

This year may be more of staying around the house; taking some inspiration from Benjamin Franklin Gates and discovering some of the treasures we have in our own back yard. Perhaps it is time to take my copy of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles off the shelf and get busy.

Onward...

Christmas Comes But Once A Year...

There are certain things that have become Christmas tradition at Doc's house. One is that we'll watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on Christmas Eve. Sometime during the day, along with wrapping presents, I'll listen to The Beatles Third Christmas Album. On the album, John sings, "Christmas comes but once a year, but when it does it brings good cheer, because we've got the hmm-mm-mm-aam for Christmas."

I love Christmas! It reinforces my families understanding that I truly am a child stuck inside an adults body. So, what is Doc hoping to see under the tree? Here are just a few hopes and dreams: Mickey Mouse by Pierre Lambert, Walt Disney Animation Studios The Archive Series: Story, Walt Disney Animation Studios The Archive Series: Animation, To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, The Art of Pixar Short Films by John Lasseter, The Pixar Treasures by Tim Hauser, The Art of Cars by Suzanne and Michael Wallis, and The Art of Ratatouille by Karen Paik.

There are also a few vintage toy request thrown in for good measure. But the real delight of the annual exchange, is discovering what my family comes up with that is not on any list. These are the one-of-a-kind items, the personal home-made gifts, the things I would-not-have-thought-to-ask-for-but-immediately-come-to-love items. There have been some real treats and treasures that have found a home in Doc's and Mrs. Doc's home.

So much for the self indulgent side.

The real joy comes from watching my grandchildren. There will be five of them, six including my youngest nephew, going at it at once and the excitement and volume level will be through the roof. And that is good. My youngest, Jackson (Jack-Jack), is now three and should be fully engaged in the festivities. There are few things that can compare to the wide eyes, the broad smiles, the squeals of laughter and the constant exclamation of "look what I got!" And that too is good.

This is an exciting time; a time filled with much anticipation. It is time to share, to be with family and to strengthen the bonds that hold us together. Amidst the chaos, there is much peace. There is peace in knowing that we are without cares for a day. There is much warmth in knowing we are with the ones who love us most, celebrating the birth of the One who loves us all. Books are great. The toys are fine. But it this, it is being with my family that I love most about this time of year.

Today

I have been richly blessed in this life!

I have a wife who loves me and doesn't seem to mind the fact that there is still a kid running around the house - even though our kid's left home years ago. I have great mom; my enabler. I have a wonderful sister who I am immensely proud of. And with her come's a brother-in-law and great little nephew who can wear out a Star Wars Legos set.

Then comes the children. Mrs. Doc has Jeff, my step-son, and his wife Camille. They are an amazing couple balancing careers and raising two beautiful children; Luke (who is also good with Legos) and Emmery. Then there is my son, Gregory and his wife Jennifer. Wow! It isn't easy raising a family with one parent traveling so often, but they are writing the book on how to do it - and do it right. They have blessed me with Devon, Shelby and Jackson (Jack-Jack). We have all just recently returned from Walt Disney World. Devon and I will be back in four days. But these guys are something else. They live just across the street from Mrs. Doc and I. I have to tell you; there is no greater feeling in the world than to come home from work and have your grandchildren rush out their front door hollowing, "Hi Papa!" and run over to give me a hug and tell me about their day. I highly recommend this type of living arrangement for anyone who plans on becoming a grandparent sometime during the course of their life.

I could go on and on about my grandkids. What grandparent can’t?

I could go on and on about both of my kids. We three grew up together; well, they grew up. I am still trying not too. But that is another story for another day.

Back to today.

Today, in fact, at this exact moment, I am especially blessed to be the Father of the Bride! At this moment I am walking my daughter down the aisle and will present her to her love, to be joined in marriage. Ali, an incredible young lady!

I know that every parent is so very proud of their children. Parents should be proud. I am proud of my children and it is a privilege to be their father. But today, in this moment, there is not another father walking the face of this earth who is anymore proud of their daughter than I am of mine right now! She is my little girl - she is my princess.

Ali, me and my lovely bride at the "Couples" Wedding Party.

...on the road (actually in the air) with one of my favorite traveling companions.

...at Cirque du Soleil "Love" (we saw Paul McCartney in concert the night before)

...and presenting my son-in-law, Ryan.

P.s. He doesn't mind taking my calls whenever I call him from Walt Disney World and need a quick wine pairing. He is quite good. He and I have become good friends and challenge each other to take better photographs. Ryan, welcome to the family!

I am proud you two! You, along with all the family, keep the blessing flowing.

Watching The Days Go By

It's alright, okay, you can go ahead and admit it. You just had the urge to sing a Talking Heads song didn't you?

"Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was."Onward.

I am definitely living in one of the most exciting times of recent memory. Earlier this year my wife and I fulfilled one of her grandest dreams; that of taking an Alaskan cruise. Later this year, on October 17th to be precise, I will have the honor of escorting “my princess”, my daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. And as I have previously written, this Labor Day Weekend has a particular significance.

I posed a question to each member of my family making this particular journey. The question was, “What I am most looking forward to on my trip to Walt Disney World is…” The results are in.

Devon – “What I am most looking forward to on my trip to Walt Disney World is riding Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and seeing what our hotel looks like.”

Shelby – “What I am most looking forward to on my trip to Walt Disney World is to seeing Minnie Mouse and going to see shows.”

Gregory – “What I am most looking forward to on my trip to Walt Disney World is seeing my babies’ expressions and excitement watching the magic of Disney cover my kids like a warm blankie.”

Jennifer – “What I am most looking forward to on my trip to Walt Disney World is hearing the giggles and the unending can we do this, ride that, get this and what’s next as their minds try to wrap itself around all there is to see and do.”

Mrs. Doc – “What I am most looking forward to on my trip to Walt Disney World is watching the Devon and Shelby experience their first Disney trip and watching my hubby's dream come true.”

Oh, and we can’t forget Jack-Jack. True, at two years old, he may not be particularly passionate about any one attraction (though I can see him running rampant around Pooh’s Playful Spot). But, he too, chimed in with an answer. Jackson is most looking forward to “una una dis, okay?”

All in all, I would say that 2009 is shaping up to be a banner year.

This just in! Jack-Jack can now say Mickey Mouse. It sounds something like M-I-N-K-E-Y M-O-O-S-E.

This, of course, conjurs up memories of one of the great lines in motion picture history:

"The Moose says you're closed, but I say you're open."

More to follow...

Today...

...I turn 52. Last night I saw Paul McCartney in "The Joint" at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Tonight I will be experiencing Cirque du Soleil "Love" at the Mirage, following my birthday dinner at the Eiffel Tower in Paris Las Vegas. Life is good!

But what makes life great is family! Today, I simply want to reflect on and give thanks for the greatest gifts I could ever hope to receive. Their names are Mom, Gregory Jr. and Jennifer, Ali and Ryan, Cindi and Keith, Jeff and Camille, Devon, Shelby, Luke, Emmery, Jackson, Christian, and my very heartbeat, my wife Gerrie. This is my family and they are precious to me. I am also blessed with friends, near and far. There are far too many to name for fear of leaving someone out.

For you, family and friends, and those of you I have not yet met, but who are reading this post, I offer you three things that I have learned (one of which I have mentioned in prior posts).

1. We all have to grow old, but we do not have to grow up.
2. With each day that passes, we have fewer "one of these days," so perhaps we should start living our "one of these days" today.
3. We work to live; not live to work.
   

More to follow...

Another Year Older

It's odd, this year. Not that it has been a long standing tradition, but for the past two years, I have spent my birthday in Walt Disney World. In 2007 I was joined by my wife and other members of my family to celebrate turning,

As with any good trip to Disney, there was plenty of food to be had. We ate dinner at Le Chefs de France, The Yatchsman Steakhouse, Boma's, Mama Melrose's, and The Rose & Crown. My birthday dinner, at the steakhouse, was topped off with a Illuminations Fireworks Cruise.

Now, let Doc give you two tips. One, The Yatchsman Steakhouse is probably one of the top five restaurants on Disney property. Splurge. Have dinner there. Trust me on this. I recommend the rib-eye, medium rare. And two, you have not experienced Illuminations until you have seen it from the water. If you can have my friend from Passamaquoddy along for the ride to narrate the story, yes, there is a story to Reflections of Earth, all the better.

In 2008 I celebrated my birthday with friends in the Magic Kingdom. Among them, Ryan Wilson of the Main Street Gazette, Glenn Whelan of Passamaquoddy, and the godfather of Disney Geeks, Lou Mongello. There was no big deal made of the event, other than it was big deal to me to spend time in my one of my favorite places on Earth with some of my favorite people on Earth.

So, back to the premise of this post. It's odd this year. On the year that I could get into Walt Disney World on my birthday for free, I am not going. Whoa! It has taken a bit of getting used to that fact. And it will be tough missing my friends who will be gathering later in the month for the Studio 20 event. But, I suppose I'll get by. Because...

I'm Going To Vegas Baby!

For this year's anniversary of my entrance into the world (thank you mom), I will celebrating in Las Vegas with my daughter and her boyfriend. Now, as with any trip that involves me, there will be plenty of food. So far we have reservations at Canaletto in the Venetian, the Social House at Treasure Island, Joe's Seafood in the Forum Shops at Caesar's, and for my birthday dinner, we'll be enjoying the fountain show at the Bellagio from our table at the Eiffel Tower in Paris Las Vegas. Oh, we also plan on picking up a burger at BLT Burger at the Mirage, and I am sure we'll discover a few other places where we can enjoy some in-between meal snacks.

Oh, and I need to mention, that while we're there, we'll be seeing Cirque du Soleil "Love." This is the fireworks cruise for 2009! My daughter called me as she was leaving the show last year and said, "Dad, we have got to this." So, we are. And...Paul McCartney is at the Hard Rock Las Vegas our first night there. Yes, we are looking into tickets.

If you plan on being in Vegas, and see me walking down the street, taking pictures of all the lights, stop and say hello.

Okay, I won't look quite like that, but, you get the general idea.

More to follow...

All In The Family: Part Two

I sat down this evening thinking I would update the running Where In The World photo series. But I don’t know, I am feeling a little nostalgic this evening and when I get nostalgic I think mostly about friends and family.

So, the photo can wait. Although, I do have a photograph of a hidden Spaceship Earth I want to share. I have more about that at a later date.

Now for nostalgia.

As many of you know I was in Passamaquoddy for the 4th of July Cookout. Had I not been there, I would have either been with some of family on a lake in Michigan, or in my mother’s backyard with other family. Notice the trend? Wherever Doc is, family and friends are there also.

But about my mom. Every year she has company during the 4th of July, and the 5th, 6th, 7th, and so on and so on. There are brothers, sisters, aunts, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and every now and then a niece or nephew will show up. I house is packed. I know; her house is right behind mine. And food? You could feed the whole neighborhood with what comes out of Mama Doc’s kitchen.

So, what does this have with Disney? Well, nothing really, I just want to honor my mother. It doesn’t have to be Mother’s Day for us to honor our moms.

I will say about a little about mom and Disney though. In a post some time ago I mentioned how my mom calls herself “my enabler.” And she is. She’ll call the house and ask, “Are you doing anything?” “Well, not right now mom.” “Well, walk over here a minute. I got something for you.” Nine times out of ten it will be something related to my Obsession. It may be a little figurine, or a magazine with a article or perhaps a recipe from Disneyland or Walt Disney World. But then sometimes there will be larger items, like once she had Buzz & Friends Pixar Characters Train.

Mama Doc is also my defender. Not everyone can appreciate the true magic of Disney like we geeks. My grandmother didn’t understand. Likewise for some friends of the family and so forth. I know you can relate to this. My mother (who by the way, doesn’t “get it”) will always defend my love for Disney. Her answer, “It is something he loves and there are a whole lot of other things he could be doing that you may wish he wouldn’t be doing.” That usually ends the conversation.

I could go on and on, but I read somewhere that posts should not be over-long.

But let me close by encouraging you in two areas. First, seek out the “enablers” and “defenders” in your life and give them a big hug and say “Thank you.” We, the B.P.O.M., are free to be who we are because of these wonderful people. Second, if you still have mom with you, call her up, say “Thanks, and I love you mom.” She doesn’t need to know why. You do, and that it all that matters for now.

More to follow…

Arrival for the Doc "Fifty In Disney" Celebration - April 2007

Road Trip: Passamaquoddy

I do enjoy the drives that Mrs. Doc and I take. They allow us to slow down the usual hectic pace of life and share in some wonderful conversations. They are worth the high price of gas to have these hours to reconnect. Because, let’s face it, life can be busy, making these “little wonders” so important.

We recently had one of these occasions during our drive up to Passamaquoddy for the 4th of July Cookout. Mrs. Doc asked, “What is your favorite Fourth of July memory?”

Wow! What a question. As I thought about it, I began to realize that I don’t have that quintessential 4th of July memory. So after agreeing that I have lived a sheltered life, at least where the 4th of July is concerned, I began to think about what memories I do have of the Fourth. There aren’t many that stand out.

Yes, I remember running around as a child with the different colored sparklers and watching “snakes” grow on the pavement. I thought smoke bombs were neat. It always seemed that my friends in my hometown in southeast Missouri had a supply of these on hand (Fourth of July or not), whenever I would go there to visit as a child. We would come home from the Saturday matinees and re-enact the latest James Bond film or pretend we were The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Yes, I know, I am dating myself with that one. And I digress. The point is that smoke bombs were neat.

As a teenager I remember having bottle rocket battles. That was kind of cool because as every one knows, when you are a teenager you’re “20 feet tall and bullet-proof!” No firecracker on a stick could possibly hurt you.

Once during a Fourth of July break in production of a play I was in, we all convened to a fellow cast member’s house to an afternoon pool party. It turned out that no one wanted to brave the enormous crowds that gather on the riverfront in Nashville for the city’s annual celebration. So, we held our own improvised celebration, firing roman candles across the pool, while humming Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

The Overture! Viola! That is my memory. I remember the 1812 Overture!

My mom tells the story of how as a child I could hum the entire 1812 Overture! I suppose there were nursery rhymes and children’s songs sprinkled in here and there. But I could go practically note-for-note on Tchaikovsky’s commemorative opus. I remember I would lie in front of the family console stereo. It had a blonde wood finish and an amber colored light that indicated the power was on. At the age of four I thought the people who made the sounds lived in the stereo and if I looked close enough through the light I could see them. I would stay there for hours listening to the light phrases of the first section and the celebration as the cannonade fired with every downbeat of the finale.

As the years went by that piece of music stayed with me. I remember watching Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra on television once performing the Overture at the Hatch Shell in Boston.

And then one time in 1989 some friends and I changed our minds about going to Breckenridge for a ski weekend and instead drove to Walt Disney World. It was the first time that I witnessed Illuminations. There at the end of Act III, was the Overture serving as the Finale. All my memories associated with the music came flooding back. It was magic to me.

So, my wife is right. Perhaps my Fourths have been sheltered in terms of creating that one special memory. But I have that piece of symphonic splendor that I have carried since childhood. It is a work that I associate with the annual Independence Day celebrations. I know that on Friday night, down on the banks of the Cumberland River, the Nashville Symphony will be performing this celebratory masterpiece while shells burst overhead and a waterfall of fireworks cascade over the side of the Victory Memorial Bridge.

I won’t be there. Mrs. Doc and I will be found setting on a blanket near the band shell, listening to the Passamaquoddy Philharmonic. I only hope they play the Overture.

Well, there you go. I have a memory now.

As we neared the outskirts of P-quoddy our conversation drifted from the upcoming holiday to herring whips and crab burgers. Oh, and my strategies for increasing my score in Buoy Store Minnow Mania. The key, I think, is to jump start your overall score by doing well in the Frat House room. I don’t know, but am going to test my theory during the long weekend.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

I Write A Blog, But...

...My wife, Mrs. Doc, wrote a book.

In a slight detour from the usual "Obsession" stuff, this evening I celebrate my wife! This afternoon, while at work, a lady from the editorial department stuck her head in the door, and gathered everyone from her office around. Once the group was assembled, the lady exclaimed, "Happy Book Day." With that, my wife, the real writer in our family, was presented the 1st copy of her first published book!

Contemplative by Design: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Spaces, by Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young will be released by Upper Room Books in September 2008. We're still holding out hope that they'll decide to rush advance copies of the book to a conference in North Carolina in mid-July. The project started there and what better place for a release event.

So, yes, this post has nothing to do with Disney, but it has everything to do with family. At this moment, there is no husband who is more proud of, and happy for, his wife.

Congratulations Mrs. Doc! What's next?

All In The Family: Part One

There are some things that I do just some of the time; such as this blog. Then there are some things that I do all of the time; such as think about Disney. Hey, that is why they call it an obsession. Right? But like you there are other things in life that are important. More important in fact. Family comes to mind.

Every now and then I will allude to someone in my family. Not often, but every now and then. I do mention my wife, Mrs. Doc, on a few occasions. But this evening I was feeling particularly nostalgic and was going through some old photographs. I ran across one that has prompted me to want to share a moment in my Disney history that involves my family and has stayed with me all these years. It may be a little long in the telling so please bear with me. It starts, this evening, with a photograph that lives on a bulletin board just over my shoulder here.

In April 1989 my grandfather passed away after an extended illness. My grandmother had not been alone in over fifty years and like most people would in a similar circumstance was having difficulty dealing with the separation. So early the following year I thought it would be nice to take her, along with my children, on a vacation to Walt Disney World. It was quickly becoming my "Happy Place" and I hoped that it could become that for her too. It was my hope. But...

In the years that followed my passion for Walt Disney World gave way to obsession. I became a collector, visit the parks as often as possible, and spend way too much on souvenirs. This did not turn out to be the case for my Nannie (my name for my grandmother) and she never could understand why I was so fascinated with Disney. She never understood the commitment of so much time and money. In today's vernacular she would be among those who did not "get it." My mother, one of my "enablers" would try to explain it, but it made no difference. She simply didn't understand why I couldn't take up a different, say, more grown up hobby. But, there was this trip in 1990 I could hold to.

It happened when we were walking through the turnstiles into the entrance plaza of EPCOT Center. Once in, we all, my grandmother, my two children and I, stopped and looked at Spaceship Earth. After a moment, Nannie turned to me, and with a little tear in her eye said, "I never thought I would live to see this."

In that moment and for that moment, she got it!

I was in my happy place on November 6, 2006. I had just finished my first ride of Expedition Everest and was walking out of the gift shop when my cell phone rang. It was Mrs. Doc. My grandmother died while I was on the mountain. After I regained my composure I left the Animal Kingdom and went over to Epcot. I walked inside the gate and just stood for awhile looking up at Spaceship Earth and thinking back to that day in 1990. She made it.

(My daughter and Nannie, Tomorrowland, 1990)

I hope you don't mind my sharing this with you. Like I said, I was feeling a little nostalgic tonight and wanted to share a little bit about my family with you, my Disney family.