Memory Lane

You’ve Got To Hand It … To Minnie Mouse

Photo courtesy of Black


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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?


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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.


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That was one of the funniest Red & Black classes. Ever.


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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.

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Well, there was no way I would wear a red polka dress.

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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.

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Yes, and your point is?

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That alone was funny enough but explaining it while “in character” and gesturing with those oversized white hands, just made every word hilarious.

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I did not even need to do a squeaky Minnie Mouse voice.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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November 18, 1928, was the day “Steamboat Willy,” the animated short film that made Mickey (and his girlfriend, Minnie) famous, was released.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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Who knew that Minnie could make learning so much fun?


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So, what do you think Mickey would’ve thought of that? Especially as he’s used to getting top billing.


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I know that Mickey may get most of the attention, and even his own day, but never underestimate the power of Minnie …
Columbia Pictures

It’s Groundhog Day. Again! A day that reminds me of a great movie with a great message (see my thoughts below). Again. And this year, it reminds me that I have great friends. Now, you may wonder, what does that have to do with Groundhog Day? Well, a few years ago, I visited one of my dearest friends when she was living in Woodstock, IL, where the movie, “Groundhog Day” was filmed. Standing in the town square on a snowy night with one of my best friends is a day (well, technically a night) I’d be happy to repeat. Again and again.

Yes, I know that Groundhog Day was last week. But truth be told, on the actual day, I almost forgot that it was Groundhog Day. Until Black, on our morning phone call (we talk almost every morning – sometimes specific Red & Black items, sometimes current events, sometimes just "life") wishes me, "Happy Groundhog Day." Well, these days, every day feels like Groundhog Day, so I thought she was just being sarcastic, which wouldn't be unusual. When I started to reply with something like "yeah, same ole, same ole", I paused, because I realized, it really was Groundhog Day.

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Photo courtesy of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Some things should never be forgotten. That’s why tomorrow’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day was created by the United Nations to mark the unspeakable horror of the Nazi’s genocide of over six million Jews. An event beyond comprehension, which makes us wonder why many U.S. states don’t require students learn about the horrors of the Holocaust. How can we prevent atrocities from happening again if we don’t understand how they happened before? And as we see heartbreaking images from Ukraine, it reminds us of Holocaust images, and that evil will always be evil …

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Shoes. Seemingly endless shoes. That’s all I can think about.


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I know you cannot be talking about my closet.


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Far from it! It’s an image that’s forever burned in my memory. A pile of shoes, each one representing a life lost. Each one a story onto itself. Each one proof of something we should never forget.


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Normally, I would ask you to tell me what you are talking about or accuse you of being overly dramatic. But, not this time.
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New Year’s Eve is one of those nights (Black calls them “forced” celebrations) that often have great expectations attached to it. Many people make a big deal of it, but we prefer a lowkey approach, making the evening “special” by spending it with special people – for Red, her daughters, and for Black, close friends.

Some years it can be a bittersweet celebration (if loved ones have passed or no longer live close to home), but that can remind you of what’s most important.

So, let’s all toast to the promise and hope of a new year … and to champagne and toilet paper.



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New Year's Eve seems like the perfect time to stroll down memory lane, although I'm guessing your memories are much more interesting than mine.


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"Interesting" is a subjective word. Regardless, are you talking about memories in general? Or, New Year's Eve celebrations?


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Actually, it was just a passing comment. But since you've always seemed to make a bigger deal out of New Year's Eve than I have, are there any years that really stand out?


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Truth is the most memorable ones are the ones spent with celebrating with closest friends versus crowds. In fact, I think I have spent more than half of my New Year's Eves with John and Diana. Although, I will never forget bringing in 2000.
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