Here I am at Disney World, perfectly happy with the fact that—at 7:15pm—what I’m going to do next is watch Once Upon a Time on tv, and sneak upstairs to the Kilimanjaro Lounge and bring down a “zebra dome” for a mini dessert.
I’ll tell you what, airplanes and suchlike conveyances are tiring. The funny thing that happened this time and the last time we flew (which was in April) was that Jeff doesn’t know how to disembark. Even with me leading the way. He’s completely perplexed by the idea of ‘pick up your roll-aboard and follow Emily down the aisle.’
Another interesting, perplexing aspect to traveling that is new this trip has to do with those same suitcases and unloading them from the rear hatch of the car. We stop, we get out, we walk to the back of the car, I open the rear gate, I pull out both suitcases. Jeff says “ooookay,” and immediately swings the one I hand him back into the trunk of the car. “No,” I say. “We’re getting out now.”
Nevertheless, I think that—living in the moment as he must—he is having a pleasant time. And I am having a delightful change of scenery.
I was struggling a little bit with the indulgence inherent in this trip, and the idea of a place such as Disney World in general. Especially after a Facebook friend posted a link to an excellent series of photographs with the theme “Where Children Sleep.” Beautiful photos, beautiful children, often appalling living conditions. It’s very hard to look at the series and not come away remorseful about your plenty and almost sick about the excess so often depicted in stories about the luxurious lives of the 1st World very-rich. But then again, you can’t get mad at the 1st World very-rich for the fact that they hire an interior designer to decorate their home to maximum holiday excess while they’re away on Thanksgiving vacay without noting that it’s all a matter of degree and relativity. Here I am in a lovely resort. I am having fun.
Well, I guess it’s best to try to live life experientially, and be where you are, absorb what there is to absorb, and try not to get hung up on the fact that you can’t—at that moment—right all wrongs. Or probably ever. You can just try to fulfill the role in life you bumbled into, and hope you make a tiny difference toward the better.
2 comments:
I am very familiar with American life and culture, and admittedly even my own culture is very Western, Protestant oriented. The truth is that Americans, and the West in general, define wealth very narrowly. Those with less material prosperity are more sensitive to the other types of wealth that exist, some of which they consider supperior to material wealth. I have found that the while my nation has grown in material prosperity in the last 20 years, we are not as relationally or culturally as rich as we were.
Once I observed that while our 14 year olds studied the Brothers Karamazov, American teen agers studied the Brothers Mario. Now our teenagers are very much the same as Americans.
I hope that you enjoy your vacation. I went to Disney World in Orlando in 2003. I found it to be a remarkable place. It is so much more enjoyable than Disneyland Paris (can you believe that people go to Paris and choose to visit Disneyland? I was one of them and regretted the loss of a day).
Prof, the "other types of wealth" ARE superior to material wealth...almost across the board.
I'm with you on all points. It is common, growing up American, to hear comments from church-school teachers, or other leaders trying to convey morals, that "we are so privileged here!" And of course they are right. Because what they're talking about is material grandeur. The less tangible things that truly enrich a life often go ignored or not well understood.
I think I was more fortunate to grow up with parents who were humble and not eager to possess more stuff.
Interesting comment about Disneyland Paris. It would never occur to me to go there, but I guess I can understand if it appeals to locals who are otherwise immersed in French culture and want a different experience. Absolutely though...there is plenty I'd rather do ANYWHERE abroad, not just Paris.
The thing about Disney World is it's an interesting place on many levels. You can marvel at the ingenuity and engineering that went into building it, the complexity of staff required to run it. And it makes for a telling study of humans and how they behave and react in such a curious environment. Or you can just look out from your balcony and say "Wow, a giraffe. Nice."
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