Faith Restored

When you live in a world where people take you for granted, speak to you condescendingly, and more often than not simply forget you ... it's hard to have a little faith in humanity. Or at least, that's what Ms. Evelyn said when she offered me tea.

Earlier that day, Ms. Evelyn had gone out on her daily walk to get the newspaper at the end of her very old and cracked driveway. She sweltered under the stifling Georgia heat and regretted donning her thick bathrobe; even if it is her favorite one because of the embroidered blue and green flowers.

As she bent down to pick up her newspaper, her foot gave out from under her and she lost her shoe. Ms. Evelyn screamed as she fell and gasped, thinking she had broken her already fragile hip. She felt the familiar and embarrassing trickle down her legs. Her elbow scraped the ground, her glasses fell off her head, and her bathrobe slipped off her shoulder. A small gash on her elbow dripped blood onto the concrete and she stared as a car drove by her.

"Maybe he was going too fast... Maybe he didn't see me..."

Ms. Evelyn despaired as the time passed and car after car passed her fallen form. Her bright blue robe was not hard to miss amidst the drab grey concrete. Minute by minute, more beads of sweat collected on her brow as the midday sun beat mercilessly on her aching body.

She could see her neighbors sitting on their front porch but could not call out to them. Her voice would not come but she wondered if, just maybe, they were ignoring her.

One car after another, the misery and pain began to set in. Despair and a headache set in as a white pick-up truck and a red mini-van passed her fallen form. Would no one stop for her?

But... wait. Wasn't that the same pick-up truck and mini-van again? Relief washed over her when the cars pulled over and doors began to open.

A man and his daughter.

A woman and her son.

"They stopped for me... They're asking me if I'm ok... They're helping me up"


"I'm ok, I bent down to pick up my newspaper and my foot must have gone out from under me. No, no, nothing's broken. Oh no, nonononono I'd rather not call anyone. My daughter's busy at work, I don't want to bother her."

Ms. Evelyn was so glad to have someone talk to her, notice her, and just touch her hand. She couldn't remember the last time any person had been so considerate. A registered nurse and her strong son. A sensitive man and his caring daughter.

"Such a lovely girl, is she stooping down to place my shoe back on my foot. She didn't have to do that. I feel so bad for getting blood on her hands. God must have sent these kind folks to me, what would have happened? Why did no one else stop for me?"

"Do you know that I make this walk every day? Just to get the paper."

The young ones helped her to the door; the strong man lifted her into her favorite chair; the nurse and the young girl cleaned up her bloodied elbow and hands. Could they tell she had soiled herself in her fear?

Would they leave her so soon?

"Young lady, would you like some tea? would you like to hear what happened before you found me? Would you like to know how you restored my faith in humanity?"

Magic Ruined

A child's first trip to Disney World should be a magical experience full of wonderful memories and new adventures. An adult's nth trip to Disney World should still be a magical experience that brings out the happiness and peace of the inner child. I'm sorry to say neither was the case for my Fourth of July Disney experience. I was hoping to see Magic Kingdom through the eyes of a 6 year-old girl on her first trip to the most magical place on earth, but was instead appalled at the entire experience.

Waking up a dreaming Alexandra at 5 a.m. did not go as expected when she kicked my stomach and punched my arm in protest to being awakened. She grumbled and rolled over, trying desperately to go back to sleep as I tried to yank the bedsheets away from her vice-like grip. Desperate, I dressed her and brushed her hair while she was still asleep. I even put her shoes on and proceeded to get myself ready. When I accidentally dropped my toothbrush in the bathroom, I apparently made enough noise to wake up the sleepy Alexandra.

Once awake, she scarfed down her breakfast of choice: cookies and creme Pop Tarts and Sunny D. Was that a comment on her mother's parenting style? No, not at all, why would you think that?

As tough as it was to wake her up, it was even harder to get her into the car because she kept forgetting items. Alexandra cannot ride in the car without one specific pink blanket and three specific stuffed animals. She fell asleep almost immediately when the car started and did not fight me during the hour-long car ride to Magic Kingdom. 

I wish her parents had slowed down the car so Alex could have seen the entrance gate to Magic Kingdom, but her sleepy eyes hadn't opened yet and she missed it. She did, however, catch the giant Donald Duck statue and wondered why he was there. I learned that morning that Alexandra had not only never been to Magic Kingdom but had not seen any Disney movies except for Cars and Tangled. The child had no clue what to expect or what the stories behind the park's attractions were or who half the characters trying to hug her were or why there was a giant castle and parades.

I thought that was enough and tried to give a rundown of what was happening so she could have more fun. I tried to slow down so she could look around at the buildings and parts of the park which were obviously grabbing her attention. The buildings in Adventureland are a cross between the bazaar in Aladdin and the pirate world of Jack Sparrow. I was entranced and Alex was so excited to take in all the details, but her mother and father kept walking faster and faster, pulling her along so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. Why? 

We had all day to explore the park and they were so paranoid about little Alexandra getting lost in the crowd - but she wouldn't have gotten lost if they hadn't been running from place to place without enjoying the experience of Magic Kingdom. Alexandra didn't even get to explore Fantasyland's replicated French architecture from Beauty and the Beast or the little cabin-like shops straight out of Snow White.

I'm glad I was there to take care of Alexandra because her parents refused to get on most rides and little Alexandra would have missed out on spinning teacups and racing cars and roller coasters and magic carpet riding and haunted mansions and jungle cruises and target practice with Buzz Lightyear. Standing in lines and eating mickey mouse waffles while Pooh and his friend hug you are part of the experience. An experience that Alexandra will probably never revisit as long as she lives with her family.

I only say this because after having a magical day with me and waiting in line for It's A Small World After All - it began to downpour and thunderstorm. The day was apparently ruined, at least according to Alexandra's easily upset mother who saw nothing but the negative in that day. But Alexandra and I were having a grand time in the rain and waiting inside a gift shop. I even bought her first pair of Minnie Mouse ears. She wore them for the rest of the week.

So with a "ruined" day, we went to wait in line for Space Mountain. Because of the thunderstorm, the Fast Pass machines were down and we had to wait in line for over three hours. Thankfully, Alexandra was asleep in my arms for most of it and her older brother was busy reading his book. Three hours of listening to Alexandra's parents complain and bumping into the couple making out in front of us. Three hours of aching feet and the dead weight of a six year-old child.

Snaking up to the front of the line, Alexandra woke up just in time to find out (yet again) she was tall enough for the ride and get inside her rocket. She is measured three or four times at every ride because she is exactly 44 inches tall but deceptively small. She was so happy to get going and throughout the entire ride I heard her excited screams and giggles of terrified delight. Whooshing and whipping around corners while the stars and constellations whizzed past us, Alexandra and I screamed in joy. Space Mountain is my favorite ride and I was ecstatic to share the magic of it with Alexandra. As the ride comes to a stop, she bounces in her seat and squeals "again! Again, Ana, again!!!"

Her mother put a stop to the "nonsense" by dragging Alexandra out of her seat and rushing to the exit of the park, mumbling and raving about never coming back to the park again because she had had such a horrible experience. Alexandra's mother sat through the incredibly spectacular Fourth of July fireworks begrudgingly, smoking cigarette after cigarette, nervous eyes darting around, impatient to get back in the car and leave the "horrible" place. I don't think we were in the same park at all.

For the next few days, Alexandra couldn't stop talking about Magic Kingdom to every person she met asked me to relive the memories, begged to look at the pictures on my camera, and pleaded to rent The Little Mermaid or Cinderella. Likewise, her mother couldn't stop complaining about Magic Kingdom to every person she met for the rest of the week. I do hope she changes her mind and doesn't ruin the rest of Alexandra's magical and innocent childhood or any more theme parks with her negative attitude and nicotine-induced paranoia.

Sometimes, I really wish I could take kids away from incompetent parents and fix their childhoods. If I could, I'd have a house filled with all the children from my neighborhood and many more that I meet in stores. Some people... should not be parents. And some people should not be allowed to ruin magic for children.