Five Hundred

I felt that I should write something profound for my 500th post. Sorry, don’t have anything, profound that is. So, maybe just a bit about why I started The Disney Obsession.

The simple, quick answer is because my wife suggested I start blogging. She understood how important Disney was in my life and felt that I should share that with others. I think too that she knew it would provide an outlet for a lot of pent up anxiety owing to the fact that I live too far away from the parks to go every other month or so. Okay, every other week or so. It was not a bad idea and I decided to begin blogging.

I started with no real vision or plan for the blog. In fact, on September 30, 2007 I wrote:

“Am I certain of how this will work? No! Do I know specifically what I will write about? No! Will I be a generalist or a specialist? I do not know. There are so many great blogs out there covering so many aspects of my obsession. What can I possibly add to the dialogue? I do not know. What I do know is that I have to start somewhere and sometime, and today is that day.”

And here I set, October 7, 2011, a little over four years later, typing my 500th post, and that paragraph still holds true. I still don’t really know what this blog is about. I know what it isn’t. It isn’t the place you turn to for news about the parks, or in-depth studies on attractions. You don’t come here to determine what books to read or what films to go see. How do I know this? Well, because I write this blog and I know where I turn to when I need to know these things. It isn’t The Disney Obsession. In truth, I learned very early on that my blog could not keep up with the quality and quantity of content that is out there, and frankly, I am glad I learned this. I didn’t want to keep up that pace, either then or now. But is saying that, I offer my greatest admiration and appreciation to those that do. And you know who you are.

Honestly, knowing that blogging can sometimes be a struggle, and that keeping up even my lackluster attempt at providing content is challenging, I have often considered simply letting is drift into the sunset. I thought of quitting. I thought of taking a one-month break, I’ve thought of... well, a number of things. But it all comes down to this: I really enjoy having a blog. I am happy that through this experiment that I have had the chance to meet some “really swell” people; some of whom have become some of my closest friends. It has opened a door to some wonderful friendships here in at home. I wouldn’t know you. I think that without it, the friendships I enjoy today would not exist. And, friendships that are yet to be made would not take place. For those reasons, I am happy to have started. And I am happy to continue.

Have I found my voice? I still don’t know. I do like what someone once said about this blog, “Greg, your blog has heart.” I think they meant that I write is from my heart. It sometimes reflects the emotion of life. At times there is more photographic content than there is written content, but this comes from the fact that I sometimes don’t know what part of my life to share. As much as Disney is important to me (and it is a large part of my life) there are other areas that are more important. My family and my family experiences are wonderful and mean more to me than anything else in this world. My faith is important because I believe that it is through my faith that God has blessed me with my family. My life experience has been varied and adventurous and I have the honor of sharing those adventures with an incredible lady; one who encourages me daily towards the next great adventure! If only I were as courageous as she.

Gerrie and I on the shores of Lake Victoria, near Jinga, Uganda

I have said some of this before and I beg your forgiveness if I am beginning to sound like a broken record. But, I need to say it again (maybe more for my benefit than yours). I feel that if I keep saying it, that I will some day miraculously stumble upond something.

The Disney Obsession seems to be forever at a crossroads, and here at number 500, we haven’t moved much from that place. I still don’t know what I am doing, but I do know that I will continue doing it and not knowing. I do know that I still wish to share my love for Disney with who ever wishes to visit this site; yes, it may be more photographic than words, but didn’t someone once say that “a picture is worth a thousand words”? But I also want to share my life and my heart with you and so I will explore more ways to do that.

After all, when all is said and done, it is how we share our lives with those around us that is most important and that is best remembered. Someone once said that “Life isn’t about the number of breaths we take, but about the moments that take our breath away.”

My friends, I want to go through what is left of my life always fighting to catch my breath!

I wish you many breathless moments.

Photo Phriday

I dreamed of Africa.

Having lived in a place where you woke up every morning to gentle sound of bells on the necks of sheep and looking out your window to see the French Alps, you wonder what could be more beautiful. This is a question that people have asked my wife and I. It is a question we ask ourselves. What is the most beautiful place you've ever been too?

It is a difficult question to answer for we have been blessed to see many magnificent places. It may be the shear magnitude of a mountain, or the barrenness of a sweeping moor. We've walked along the rugged coast of the Irish Sea and along the quiet waterfront of an North Sea inlet at a time when there was 20 hours of daylight. We've walked the dusty roads of Uganda and the sidewalks of the Champs Elysees. This does not account for the many spectacular places we've seen right here in our country and our state.

But still, the question remains. What is the most beautiful place you've ever been too? My wife will tell you Switzerland. I would answer, Zimbabwe.

When we arrived in Harare, it was like other African cities I had been to. But once you leave the city, then it becomes the place that dreams are made of; my dreams at least. I had dreamed of what Africa would be and one day, while on a safari east of Harare, I saw it. I saw a landscape that said, "I am Africa."

Yes, I once dreamed of Africa. Now, I simply dream of Africa. I dream of time that I may get to return to Zimbabwe. To ride in the back of a truck out onto the savannah and witness the variety of wildlife found there. To walk through the grass and get nearly get close enough to a giraffe to touch it.To ride on the back of an elephant again and to sip tea in the shade of a koppie. These are things I dream of.

I dream of Africa.