Straight forward, witty and timeless. #Tell it like it is, a blog for our generation
‘When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are.. When you wish upon a star your dreams come true’.
There’s that sweet refrain that plays as the Disney World Castle comes on screen signalling another exciting and enjoyable production. That catchy melody is Disney’s signature tune and over time it gets lodged in your memory.
As an adult meditating on the words of that tune, you begin to think: Is this Walt Disney’s subtle way of giving us a gentle push towards following our dreams? Is it his way of encouraging us not just to dream, but dream big and if we were to wish hard enough those dreams will come true?
Walter Elias Disney, commonly known as Walt Disney, after whom Walt Disney World is also named, was a trailblazer in the American animation industry. He was versatile as a film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. Walter Disney was also a masterful cartoonist creating the famous and well – known characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto, just to name a few. These characters will forever be a part of our childhood memories and our children’s memories as they are iconic to Disney World and Disney Studio productions.
If you know anything about Walt Disney, you would know he fell in love with the art of drawing from a young age and followed his dream, or passion, which led to his Disney empire and it wasn’t easy but he was determined and succeeded.
Walt Disney taught us to dream through the animated works he created. Does anyone remember Pinocchio, with the elderly woodworker Geppetto who wished upon a star for his wooden puppet to become a real boy? Bambi, and Cinderella? Or even the live action movie Mary Poppins where that famous nanny taught the Banks parents to focus more on their children to develop a more connected family home? Do you realize these productions have a common theme?
These movies have encouraged us to dream, with the underlying message that with hard work, determination and dedication our own dreams can come true.
And the first line of that opening song, ‘When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are’… this is further reinforcement to the fact that no matter who you are in life, your economic, social, financial status, your ethnicity or religious belief, you are entitled to wish and live in the hope that your wish will become a reality.
I dare you to let this philosophy apply to your everyday life and current unsatisfactory situation. Do you dream of a better job? A better life? Take the necessary action and perform those small steps that lead the way to your new reality. Now of course we have to be practical about dreams and realize that there may be obstacles that we could encounter, similar to Bambi who learned to see the beauty and tragedy in his forest home. But once we remain determined and steadfast in setting goals and taking steps toward achieving our dreams, then believe me, there’s just no stopping us.
Written by: Andrea Louis
For Generation Y Dominica
Generation Y Dominica 