It Started With a Mouse | Teen Ink

It Started With a Mouse

December 16, 2008
By Anonymous

Today, it seems, everybody sees things in a very dull perspective. At school, everybody spends so much time over-analyzing everything, that little time is spent actually creating something! If I could learn one thing, I think I would want to learn how to use my imagination to actually bring something to life. I want my days to be colorful. To learn the power of imagination, I would only consider being the protégé of one man, the very first “imagineer” himself; Walt Disney.

"Fantasy and reality often overlap." Walt Disney once said. His powerful imagination and creativity led to the creation of one of the world’s most adored icons; Mickey Mouse. Of course, this was just the beginning for Disney. Putting his creativity to the test, Walt Disney went on to build a fantasy empire filled with cheery tunes and lovable animated characters. His countless cartoons, movies, and his thrilling multimillion dollar amusement parks have not only appealed to children, but also to adults, who are just “kids grown up” according to Disney. Over time, Walt Disney has become a legend around the world. His name represents the ideals he based his entire existence upon: imagination, optimism, and creation.

There are many things a person could learn from Walt Disney. A strong characteristic that Walt Disney possessed was optimism. Did you know that many people like critics, carnival owners, and the public alike predicted that California’s Disneyland would flop before the end of its first six months wrapped up? Walt Disney decided to ignore the hoards of negative, pessimistic claims and stuck to the project. Now, decades later, Disneyland has become one of the world’s most successful amusement parks. It has branches in Florida (Disneyworld), France (Euro Disney), Japan (Tokyo Disney), and many others. Disney remained optimistic through both the pleasant times and the harder ones, despite the negativity that was surrounding his future plans. This is yet another thing that I would be willing to learn from Disney. I have often been told that I am entirely too pessimistic about life. It would be a nice change to be optimistic about everything.

I can only dare to dream what an adventure it would be like to become Walt Disney’s protégé.

Unfortunately, the world is a much drearier place with out Walt Disney and his personality bursting with life and creativity. I could learn so many different things from Walt Disney, if I were given the option of him being my teacher. After a few minutes of shocked intimidation after meeting my hero, I would timidly ask to learn several things.

I would shyly request that assist me in learning how to use my imagination to impact the world. Secondly, I would ask how he remained so incredibly optimistic in his lifetime. Of course, as adored as he was in his lifetime, Walt Disney would never let the fame go to his head. He often kindly reminded his fans and admirers of one thing; “I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.”

The author's comments:
This won me a scholarship! :)

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This article has 3 comments.


Mr. Perry said...
on Mar. 17 2009 at 2:34 am
Great essay, Helena!

on Feb. 4 2009 at 8:14 pm
Hey, Mrs. McNally, feel free! It's what I wrote for the Carson Scholar's fund last year. :)



If you have any questions, you can facebook me. :)

Mrs. McNally said...
on Feb. 3 2009 at 6:53 pm
Helena,

This is a very creative biographical article! I would like to use it as a model for my students!