The Wind, The Mountain, The Soldier

Disney saved my childhood

I spoke to my inner child this morning and the little runt demanded I take a pause from procrastination-fueled idle lounging and pen this down. Originally, I’d planned to carry out grueling research and accumulate loads of facts for this edition. Perhaps this is a side effect of doing similar work in the past two months but using such a method would have been in complete odds with the spirit of the story. So like One Piece’s protagonist, Luffy, I’m just gonna wing it. Maybe by the end I might have accidentally made some sense. ; )

I mean Research? Facts? What child is excited by that? ...Maybe Little Sheldon Cooper. 

In any case, I’ve found that some of the best parts of my childhood involved me sitting dangerously close to the television and discovering worlds that challenged my imagination. Stories that made me dream and let out the confines of my idea of the world. 

As a kid, I’d already gained the reputation for the one in the family who explains whatever’s happening on screen. It wasn’t really hard as everyone else just wanted to see action and comedy. I, on the other hand, was rather interested in the story. It was my first sign of loving story telling even before I’d find my treasured books.

As an adult, I haven’t lost much of my wide eyed wonder but it’s been tainted with the cynicism of reality. Can one really live in Nigeria and escape this affliction? It’d take concerted efforts of shielding and cushioning to achieve that. 

It’s not lost on me that one has to ‘chase the bag’ and ‘hunger kills enthusiasm’. Yes, Yes, the real world is constantly banging on the doors of wonder. It demands you kill the boy. It insists on itself. But I think the sleekest form of protest in an oppressive world that tries to make robots and stoic salt statues of us is to laugh in it’s face. It’s to find joy where all you’ve been promised are tears. Of course, we must always strive to achieve balance. As a child however, I never needed this. It sure is fun to recall days without worry. Or days when our only worries were for beloved characters in fictional worlds. 

My favorite Disney cartoon was/is Mulan. It’s a 10/10 for me. I remember watching it every night at dinner for about a year. I could recite every scene word for word. Though at that young age, I can’t claim to know exactly why I loved it that much but I can venture a guess now.

I think what appealed to me was how awesome she was! 

Okay, my inner child took over for a moment. This boy’s becoming a nuisance. Anyway. As I was saying; Carefully analyzing the cartoon, the reason I loved it so much was because Mulan was so freaking awesome! 

I take full credit for that. ; )

The best stories in my opinion are those that evoke strong emotions about its characters. Mulan, a young woman who’s already shown to be different in a world that that doesn’t really care much for women, knows she wants more. She wants to follow her heart but she doesn’t do this initially. She tries to tow the line that’s been drawn for her. She attempts to bring honor to her family in the ways she’s taught that women can. She fails horribly. This one is not meant to hold fans and serve tea. Like Arya Stark, that’s not her but what’s interesting here is that she makes no move to seek an alternate life...not until her father’s life is in question that is. 

Mulan doesn’t think twice before she does something completely outrageous and so far away from what’s she’s been taught. Her father’s life is at stake and she’s not going to let something as simple as her gender stop her from saving him. When she leaves, that’s her main motivation. To save her father. Within her however, warring feelings rage. The fear that she might die. That her dad might die. A chance for adventure. An opportunity to dishonor the family. A slim chance to make her father proud. It’s all so much but this woman gets to her destination and she’s literally the best man there. The smartest, the most skilled...basically those soldiers were her sons. 

And after inspiring everyone and single handedly saving all of China. She returns home as literally the most relevant person in the country but she approaches her father with trepidation. In one of the most touching scenes, she hurriedly presents him with the emperors seal and the sword of the evil warlord - great tokens of honor - and what does her old man do? He tosses them aside and draws her to him. He doesn’t care about bloody honor, he’s just happy to have his daughter back. He’s always been proud of her. I remember at this point of the movie as a child, my mom would suddenly start cutting onions in the house and it’d get into my eyes.  

That scene is one of those scoffed at by realists and I’d probably be one to tell you to take your tokens of honor to your parents in this county please. They need it, I beg you. It’s not to say your parents don’t love you or anything like that but the older generation shows love more through inquisitions about the fullness of your stomach than tossing aside glory. But perhaps we should strive to be that parent if we can’t be that child, it’s a wonderful feeling knowing you’re loved without expectations and we still hold the power to make our children (for those who plan to have them) feel that way. 

A lot of Disney movies explored these themes of going against the norm, of being being different and loving yourself that way. Like Elsa in Frozen, you learn to let go of the perception of others and just be you. 

The Lion King 2 taught us that we’re all one regardless of how we look. All parts of the circle of life, though I wonder how those antelopes and zebras were cool with serving a king who was literally going to eat them. 

And let’s not forget the songs! The soundtracks for the Disney cartoons were marvellous. I suspect this was a great part of the subliminal programming that went into the stories. Phil Collins was a beast on the Tarzan movies. The Prince of Egypt was another amazing piece of cinematic experience. Though I must admit, I was actually rooting for Ramsis in that story. 

You must be swift as coursing river!

With all the force of a great typhoon 

With all the strength of a raging fire 

Mysterious as the dark side of the mooooooon.

Cartoons also thought us about unlikely friendships and relationships. Remember donkey and dragon? I still ponder about the mechanics of that combo but I love the pairing nonetheless. Ps: I’m not even sure Shrek was Disney but I’m definitely not going back on my ‘no research rule’ after coming this far.Nope.

I can show you the world

Shinning, Shimmering, splendid

Tell me, Princess, when last did you let your heart decide

The Disney movies also serve as some form of placeholder for different times in my life. Happy times and sometimes not to so happy ones. Cartoons used to be something I shared with one of my sisters who passed away over a decade ago. Her favorite was Brother bear, a cartoon I‘m yet to watch without her. 

I remember hearing the news of her passing. I never shed a tear. Not till this day. It’s weird how no one ever told me personally about it. As a child, people tend to ignore you. I heard the news in passing but some part of my mind rationalized that it was just one of those things adults talk about that doesn’t really concern me. So she wasn’t gone. She’d come back someday. She never did though and I could never bring myself to see brother bear without her.

But that’s what the Disney did. Made us laugh and cry and sing and dream. The scene from Moana where Maui leaves her is one of such that evokes feelings of abandonment. That moment was touching but with Disney all’s well that ends well. Might not be same in real life but that’s absolutely no reason to be positive and take a leap of faith. 

What can I say except 

You’re welcome

So how did Disney save my childhood? Memories. A simple exchange of stories with peers shows that a happy childhood is not a given but in all the grittiness, there’s beautiful moments that last a lifetime and inspires me. I’ll never see cartoons with Abies again but I’ll always have that special connection between a little boy and his big sister and their love for Great stories. I’ll never have complete awe of the world and it’s possibilities but I’ll never let my inner child die as annoying as he can be. 

A whole new world 

A new fantastic point of view 

No one to tell us no or where to go 

Or say we’re only dreaming

You know, I think I’m ready to see brother bear again. 

---

What was your favorite Disney movie or song? Did you watch cartoons or were you adults from birth? Let me know! :)

Also, Don’t forget to subscribe.