Photo courtesy of Black
| I’m curious, since you were recently at the Make-A-Wish conference at Disney World in Orlando, did you take your Minnie Mouse ears or oversized Mickey Mouse hands with you? |
| No, but I told a few people how I wore them on “Dress as your favorite character day” when we were teaching at KIPP Houston High School. |
| That was one of the funniest Red & Black classes. Ever. |
| The funny thing is that other than wearing the ears and oversized hands, everything else was impromptu. |
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| Perhaps, but I also remember you wore a short black leather skirt and your usual Christian Louboutin black heels with red soles, except this time they were boots. Which, I might add, are the perfect Minnie Mouse colors. |
| Well, there was no way I would wear a red polka dress. |
| Which you proceeded to explain to the students is also how Minnie feels. That she only wears it “at work” because she’s paid to. After all, she’s a business tycoon, and prefers designer clothing to tacky dresses. Not to mention, outside of work, she’d never wear the same exact outfit every day. |
| Yes, and your point is? |
| That alone was funny enough but explaining it while “in character” and gesturing with those oversized white hands, just made every word hilarious. |
| I did not even need to do a squeaky Minnie Mouse voice. |
| All I know is that if someone had told me when we were kids and visiting Disney World shortly after they opened, that my big sister would one day entertain high school seniors with a business lesson about Minnie while “in costume”, I’d have said they were crazy. |
| I cannot believe that was 50 years ago. And, that Mickey and Minnie were born on the same day and are over 90 years old. Animation is the ultimate fountain of youth. |
| Is that why you like to use our animated creatures, rather than us, as often as possible?! But if they’re ageless, what determines their birthday? |
| November 18, 1928, was the day “Steamboat Willy,” the animated short film that made Mickey (and his girlfriend, Minnie) famous, was released. |
| Even though they were never my favorite cartoon characters, I still remember the first time I saw that film. It was somewhere on Main Street, USA at Disney World, and it was in black and white. I’ve never forgotten it. |
| I am fascinated by how one animated short became an entertainment empire. And, to think that Mickey was a mouse because Walt Disney signed over the rights to his first creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. |
| Is that why when Red & Black was first created, you refused to give over the rights to anything and everything that we created? I always assumed it was because you were a control freak. |
| I admit I am a control freak, but would like to think it is selective. For example, controlling the Red & Black brand so that it represents what we stand for and believe. When you say “Disney,” it conjures up an image of being wholesome and family appropriate. And, Mickey and Minnie are an integral part of that. It is the power of a brand and has made Disney the brand it is today. |
| Yes, and I remember you telling that to the students, even going so far as to explain the value of the brand as an intangible asset. It was probably the funniest explanation of the concept anyone’s ever heard, but that’s because you did it while wearing those oversized white mouse gloves. |
| Who knew that Minnie could make learning so much fun? |
| So, what do you think Mickey would’ve thought of that? Especially as he’s used to getting top billing. |
| I know that Mickey may get most of the attention, and even his own day, but never underestimate the power of Minnie … |
Photo by Andre Alexander on Unsplash
It’s hot and humid, and Red and her daughter are thinking about the lonely turtle crossing the road (no, this isn’t the start of a joke – see story below) seeking water and shelter from the sun. It’s something we can all relate to as millions are dealing with brutal heat waves.
| I'm still smiling at you letting Sawyer drive your Mercedes G-wagen. Although I know that her dream car's a Ford F-150, I think yours is her "fantasy car". |
| I knew the "long way" to drive back to your house, but after asking her if she knew the best way, it seemed easier to have her drive. |
| Well, you might have thought of it as efficient, but she thought it was exciting. And she told me that she was honored you trusted her to drive. |
| Did she mention that once we got back to your neighborhood, we saw a huge turtle on the road? Moving very slowly, of course, so I was not concerned it would become an unexpected road obstacle. |
| Of all the things she might encounter in our neighborhood – cyclists, Amazon delivery trucks, dog walkers – to find a turtle in the street was probably the last thing she was expecting. |
| Or, me. I know we laugh about me needing Benadryl to visit you in the suburbs, but it is due to all the pets and children – not wildlife. |
| That turtle made me think of Daddy. I'm not sure you were still living at home at the time, but do you remember when he "saved" the turtle on the road? |
| I have no idea what you are talking about. |
| Daddy was driving on Wantagh Avenue, near Kwong Ming (our favorite Chinese restaurant growing up in Massapequa), when, all of a sudden, he pulled off the road and hopped out of the car. |
| If I remember correctly, that road did not get much traffic. |
| True, but there were still cars on the road, and it was still a very unusual thing for him to do. I was probably around ten or so and sitting in the back seat, so was a little surprised when the car stopped, and he quickly got out. But when he said, "I'll be right back," I could tell by his voice that everything was ok. |
| Considering that Daddy was very mild-mannered and not the sort of person to panic or to overreact, I am not sure the tone of his voice would have been a good indicator. |
| Regardless, I wasn't the most observant of kids, so unless the car were on fire, I probably wouldn't have thought much of any of it. So, while he walked across the road, I didn't think twice about getting out of the car to watch what he was doing. Not because I was worried, but out of curiosity. |
| It is hard to imagine that same scenario today, for an assortment of reasons. Unless, of course, it was staged for YouTube or Instagram. |
| I know, but it was a different time. Decades ago. |
| I can picture Daddy waving the cars to slow down while scooping up the turtle and depositing it well away from the side of the road. |
| Close. He disappeared on the other side of the road for a few minutes, and when he returned to the car, he told me that there was a stream, so he had carried the turtle down the bank and placed it by the water. It was a hot summer day, and he figured that the poor turtle had somehow wandered far from home and was now trying to find water. Not to mention grass and shade. |
| That sounds like Daddy. Well, the conditions were similar when Sawyer and I saw the turtle in your neighborhood, but I have no idea where the local stream is located. |
| I wish I had been around, as I'd have paid homage to Daddy by scooping up the turtle and at least try to find it a safe place. And based on what Sawyer told me, if she sees him (or her) again, that's exactly what she plans to do. |
| Like father, like daughter … like granddaughter. |