Season's Greetings, Dear Readers!
As hard as it is to believe, 2015 is almost over but, thankfully, there is still time to post one final missive from yours truly before the champagne corks pop and the fat midget in the diaper makes his appearance to announce the arrival of a bouncing baby New Year. So let us take a moment to reflect, shall we, and to consider the year that was.
Or maybe not. Last year didn't really trip my trigger, if you get my drift. Too much ISIS. Too much Obama ignoring ISIS. Too much of so much that was depressing, and ignorant, and needless. Worse still, the forecast indicates that we are caught right dab in the center of a national malaise depression (see what I did there?) and conditions are likely to remain emotionally murky and intellectually overcast for the foreseeable future. "But Steve" you remark, "surely something out there puts the lead in your pencil, so to speak - isn't there anything good going on?" Well, come to think of it, there is, and it's all about...
A world renowned and unimaginably wealthy rodent that owns a virtual city state in central Florida, named, of course, Speedy Gonzales. No, that's not right. Speedy is currently unemployed and is laying low in Mexico after losing his job as a drug courier for the Zetas cartel. Seems that since we no longer patrol the boarder, the Zetas could get by with hiring Speedy's old sidekick, Slow Poke Rodriguez, but I digress. NO, the rodent I am talking about is one M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E (and you know that I sang those letters as I typed them!), and let me tell you, business is good for that particular rat. And I should know, since I just got back from a five day family vacation at Disney World, during which time the family stayed in a Disney Economy (HA!) Resort and utilized the Disney Meal Plan while "hopping" from one to another of the various parks. After investing enough money to buy a junky used car or feeding a family of Ugandans for a decade, I thought I would give my personal report on the events of the week, with the further intent of putting the past year into some kind of perspective. Make sense? Ready? Well, damn, just come along anyway. I'm almost done. I promise.
The Bradys and Disney have a history, you know. Starting from the very first visit when a three year old Jonathan saw Mickey for the first time (on a float in a parade) and immediately started yelling "hey Mickey, over here, it's me.... JONATHAN!" Thousands of other children were yelling "look, it's Mickey!" and my son was yelling "Mickey, hey look, it's ME!" Even as a toddler Jonathan sensed that he had found something of a spiritual home at the happiest place on Earth, and he expected the guest of honor to recognize that fact. Seems reasonable to me. Actually, Jonathan still has an emotional attachment to Disney that would put most primary school kids to shame. Which is one of the things that I love most about him. Aside from being an amazingly bright and perceptive man, Jonathan has depth. He has a heart every bit as big and overwhelming as Obama's ego, and he has incredibly, awesomely, amazingly, and thankfully kept the lion's share of his boyhood sweetness and sincerity right through his teenage years and straight into manhood. His heart, his compassion, and his depth of character are a sight of which I rejoice to behold. I hope that Beauty and the Beast remain forever as not only a favorite movie of his (no, really), but also as an illustration of how he always seems to see the inner value and beauty of people and experiences. Disney magic, thy name is Jonathan.
But the story does not stop here. Shannon, in her own way, is a Disney princess of the highest order. It was actually amusing to see my very mature and adult daughter become literally star struck in the presence of Cinderella. Or actually, in the presence of the young woman Disney Corp. hired to wear the Cinderella costume and stand smiling for 30 minute increments during her work shift. But the real identity of the character didn't matter to the real princess in attendance, nor should it. Shannon sensed the presence of royalty and it touched her, just as the Fairy Godmother's magic wand touched the story book character of Cinderella, and in both cases a transformation of sorts occurred. Shannon unfortunately did not morph into an elegantly dressed and handsomely equipped young socialite, but she did transform, just for a second, and only for the eyes previously anointed with fairy dust, into the achingly beautiful little girl of a few years back who loved Cinderella above all other princesses, and who shined with such grace and intelligence and beauty and charm and abounding love of life that she could, with a glance of her eyes and a quick smile, absolutely melt the heart of that adoring and breathless man who had the unimaginable good fortune of being her daddy. Shannon was born a princess, somehow, and her regal nature somehow turned a "meet and greet" into a brief glimpse of all that is right in the world. I, your humble servant, bear witness.
So, you take that (and all the other stuff) and you get a pretty damn good week. The Princess is expected to wed in the coming year, so this was likely our last big travel experience as the "Bradys." Considering that we four have experienced tens of thousands of air miles as we traipsed across three continents together, the thought that this trip was a concluding act, as it were, put me into something of a contemplative mood. Life has been far sweeter and more meaningful than I could have ever hoped or imagined, and I am giving myself full reign to shed a tear or twenty to recall the moments that have made my life worthwhile, and to disdain, just for a moment, the idea that anything should ever change. Indeed they may not. Jonathan shall ever be that free spirit and Shannon will ever be my princess. The center will hold. Mickey and I will see to that.
So, I guess 2015 wasn't so bad. Never mind what I said at the beginning. Happy New Year.
