“No bootlegging at Disney”

I recently left a part time gig at Disneyland.
I have loved Disney from a very young age, and working for the park, albeit a short stint, didn’t really ruin any fairy tales for me. In fact, I admire Walt Disney’s genius and the company’s innovative ideas even moreso now.

The one thing I can never get over are the pants we had to wear as cast members. Pleated at the most unflattering area (yes, the belly), and tapered at the legs (OMG), it really did add about 20 lbs. (thanks but no thanks).

When confronted with such selections, I had on my first day of training foolishly asked, “any bootleg cuts?”. To which, my trainer looked at me like I was a Kardashian. I mean, it’s not like I asked for “skinny pants” or anything.

Every piece of costume I’d wear seemed to have been designed for the purpose of going against what looks good on me---for my body type, and uhm––-face type. All curves were straightened out, the positives were not accentuated, but rather obliterated. All blouses were buttoned way up. And for a person with a relatively short neck like yours truly, and a round face to boot, all you saw was a walking chest and massive cheeks! I was mortified.

This is the happiest place on earth, and in here I oughta look good, shouldn’t I?

Weeks after deciding to leave to pursue my other career options, I saw Dina Goldstein’s photographs.




Dina Goldstein’s work speaks for itself. I love it. I think all young girls should be exposed to her photographs in their teens.






The funny thing is, I do love my Disney princesses. But it is nice to get your head straightened out from time to time for a reality check.
Because yes, in fairytale land we’d all look good in anything and have one dimensional happy endings.
But in the real world, I’d rather have a choice in wearing mid-rise bootlegs with all the V-necks I damned please.

I prefer a future that doesn’t end abruptly with an Old Style Gothic font that says “THE END”. Life is never definitive nor guaranteed. And that allows us to be adventurous.

I’d rather see the super: “REMAINS TO BE SEEN”…I find that more interesting (and that much more exciting).

"Hasta la vista, Christmas Tree"

I have always loved Christmas trees.

And while this will sound obsessive, I must confess I have a few in my garage. 3 now in fact of varying sizes and styles. I might need to enroll in a “Xmas Trees Anonymous” class if I keep this up.

I love hunting for them, I love putting them up, I love making all my ornaments and décor work together in nice compositions. I don’t however, enjoy packing them up, or tossing them out if they are real. It depresses me.

I know it’s mid January, and I am fully aware that I am a tad---ok, I am grossly late in doing this. But in my defense, I was out of town immediately after New Year’s. And the other version of the truth? I get deeply emotional about it.
I know it will take a full year again, and 3 seasons before I can unwrap them. Seasons of unknowns, of highs and lows... of a life imperfect and difficult most of the time.

Packing the tinsel away marks the beginning of facing life in its most real and often dreary terms. With Christmas and New Year’s, we get a break from the hardships of our lives if only for a few weeks.

This reminds me of a lesson I keep having to relearn---the necessity of "letting go".

Even without the glitz of the lights, glitter and foil wrappings, I know that the real spirit of Christmas should stay with us all year long. That's what I learned from my Parish priest. Another way of looking at it is, by packing away these things that we love and letting them go, we are actually opening ourselves up to the contrast of the joys of unwrapping them once again, and experiencing the intense pleasure of enjoying them. Let’s face it, haven’t we all seen Christmas lights that were hung all year long, and isn’t it a much sadder sight to see? Dust have collected. Fading has taken over the once colorful and cheerful decoration. The absence of novelty has worn them out.
By letting go, and understanding that not all of life can possibly remain a series of highs all the time, we are able to truly live life. How high is the happiness, if not for lows of the sad?

2010 is here and life awaits. I have to hustle.