So Sunday, as I posted about on the podcast-a-palooza page, Rodan, Babaloo and I went to EPCOT with Pat and Melanie from Don't Quit Your Day Job, and super-listener Stevie B and his friend Warren (aka Larry). Anywho, once we all convened in front of Spaceship Earth, I grabbed everyone's passes and said I would get us Fastpasses for Soarin', a ride which has a notoriously long line, and runs out of Fastpasses (i.e. seat reservations for a set time later in the day) early on. I told the group to head into Spaceship Earth, and I would meet them in the room that the ride exits out of. I figured by the time I went to Soarin', got the tickets, and walked back to the big Golf Ball, I would have to look for them in the exit room as they played games involving hand-eye coordination, anatomy, and memory. However, I was wrong as it took me next to no time to get the tickets and get back to the ride the group was already on.Anyway, I had about 15 minutes to sit by myself, and figured I would grab a seat on a bench close to the middle of the room. In the middle of the room is a large projection screen that looks like a globe, and pictures of the guests (taken in the ride) show up on the globe. Their faces they gently float down to wherever they plugged into they said they were from while riding on the ride. It was so nice to sit in a room where everyone who entered it was smiling and laughing, looking at the big screen and pointing to one another "There we are!" or "Look at that funny face you're making!" I was able to enjoy just sitting and watching other people of all ages and nationalities being happy. I don't think I saw one frown while sitting there.
However, the moment that stands out is a family of five. There was a mom and a dad and three teenage boys. All looking to be about 16-19 years old. One of the three boys appeared to be autistic, standing on his tip toes and gently "conducting" with his hands. He was looking around the room while the rest of the family watched the globe. At one point his mother saw the family's faces, and motioned for the young man to look up at the globe. He did, and his eyes grew wide. He stopped, and looked at his mother, then gently placed his hand on the back of her head. He brought his brought his forehead to hers and they just stood there for what was probably five seconds but felt like a minute. The boy removed his forehead from hers, looked at one of the machines, and started to walk towards it, followed by his brothers. They parents looked at one another, the woman smiling at her husband/partner through glossy eyes, and they followed the boys to the machine.
I like to think that this was a breakthrough moment for this family, that this was the boys way of connecting with his mother. I know that it is probably wrong of me to talk about this, that it is an invasion of this family's privacy, but every time I have thought about it over the last few days, I tear up a little bit.
And that is why I love Disney World. :)
4 comments:
I don't think it's wrong of you to talk about it at all. It's a touching story and I teared up myself. This is what we want to see in everyday life especially in these times. People happy and not worrying about what is going on in their personal lives and being able to spend that special quality time with their family. We should all hear about the feel good stories like that, only if they were posted more often maybe it would inspire more people too be happy and realize until you are actually in that box down by a river, that thinks are not completely bad.
Taylor,
That was a very cool story that you shared on here. It's been a LONG time since I was at Disney World but I still can remember once when a young boy got lost and he was crying until he saw his father. They both ran towards each other and the father hugged his son and twirled him around. That was the great part, the bad part was when the boy was being twirled around his foot swung out and kicked the side of an elderly woman so hard it knocked her down. I know...what a way to ruin a Kodak moment.
Wished that I could have been there!
Your Nashville Friend,
Thom
And that is why is IS the "Happiest place on Earth!" I'm glad that you all had a great time and I can't wait to hear about it! Do we get a video like last year?
That is beautiful, taylor. And thanks for making me cry first thing in the morning. Fucker.
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