That Awkward Disney Moment

and I know a lot of you are going to want to see pictures from my trip.

I’ve never had an instagram before, but I thought now would be a good time to start. But, because I’m the weird person I am, I decided it couldn’t just be me posting pictures. I have a teddy bear named Pudgy who I’ve had since I was 10 months old, and he travels everywhere with me. Thus, it is his instagram.

So, for pictures of my Disney trip/my teddy bear, check out his instagram at:

pudgysadventures

Before starting this, please be aware that I am typically one to stay away from personal sentimental posts on this tumblr. I’ve never viewed this as a venue to post anything but funny Disney moments. So, using my blog for an actual serious post is new to me, but I felt this was something I wanted to share.

This evening I flew home in the last seat of the airplane, and I had the entire aisle to myself. An elderly man was walking toward the back of the plane when we abruptly hit the most turbulence I’ve ever experienced. Unable to walk, the flight attendants asked if I would scoot over so the man could sit with me.

At eighty-five years old, he felt his life was in shambles. He had just come back from visiting his estranged daughter, and in our own conversation he was caught in a record-skipping pattern of asking me the same questions, and reciting the same sentences. He asked me to inform me several times where the plane was going, what direction we were heading, and he could not remember much of anything. To be honest, it was terrifying.

This continued until he realized how young I am. His struggle for words turned into an opportunity for him to tell me what he has learned in his life, and his speaking reached clarity. “I’m giving you my soul, baring it all, and I don’t really know why,” he remarked a few times. The flight attendants eventually told him that he could get up and move back to his seat, but he refused adding, “There’s much she needs to know.” With many of my friends graduating, and others simply making their way through life, I thought I would share with you what he told me, so, here, Tumblr, this is what’s on my mind:

1. Don’t lose contact with your family. For those of you fortunate enough to have elderly people in your life, cherish them. Make sure they feel loved. There are so many studies that show that someone who feels a sense of purpose derived through interpersonal relationships lives longer. He had no one. He felt unfulfilled. Beyond that, let all those you care for know how you feel, and you care, even if you’ve lost contact.

2. He kept quoting Robert Frost’s the road less traveled. When he was 17, a high school English teacher told him he had a special spark in his writing, and he should pursue writing as a career. He said he was never much for listening in school, so he ignored this advice. He is 85 years old, cannot remember where we’re going, and described this memory in immense detail. He kept telling me that no matter what you want to do, you have to pursue it. It could fail, you could get the manuscript you work your entire life on, but if you don’t, seventy years later you will be asking yourself why you didn’t do it, and why you wasted the opportunities you had.

3. And my own personal lesson is to talk to strangers. I know that seems counter intuitive, but I’m hoping you can use your best sense of judgment. I could write an entire book on the people I’ve met on airplanes. Josh from the first time I flew JetBlue back home was a guy who was trying to start up a new life in the Florida Key’s with a buddy of his who was involved in cracking some sort of conspiracy. Peggy and Ralph – the couple who sat next to me as we watched a rocket launch into space from The Kennedy Space Center just by looking out our window. The man with only one thumb I sat next to on my first long flight alone to Pennsylvania.

As soon as he left to return to his seat, I started writing this entry because I was emotionally overwhelmed with everything he and I talked about.

Everyone has a story, so listen for it. You might be so touched that you change your rule about what you post on your tumblr.

Thank you, turbulence.

PS – I just read all of this to a flight attendant

My family, my boyfriend, and I are going to Disney World soon. He hasn’t been in a while, so I want to make sure we hit up all the highlights.

This is where you guys come in.

We’re driving to Disney World, so we won’t be able to get into Hollywood Studios until between 11 - 12ish. So, if you could only be in Hollywood Studios for 10 hours, what would you do? Where would you eat? What are the must-see attractions, in your opinion?

My boyfriend, my family and I are going to Disney World together this month!

I keep just yelling, “DISNEYDISNEYDISNEYDISNEYDISNEYDISNEYDISNEYDISNEY” every time I see him.

I promise you guys, I’ll take lots of pictures of New Fantasyland and my adventures. 

I already warned my boyfriend I’m going to want to take a picture with every face character…and merchandise…and everything….