Last week I was attending a conference for the direct sales company that I work for. It was a great time of learning, meeting new people and reconnecting with dear friends. What made it even better was that the conference was held at Disney World. Say what you will about the mega giant enterprise, there are just some things about Disney that you can't deny.
I love to watch people! From elderly in wheelchairs to exhausted babies in strollers and everything in between, for just a little while we all were little children taken in by the wonder of Disney. In my observation the ones that are older, the baby boomers, are the most wonder-filled. We remember sitting in front of a scratchy TV screen and seeing that castle with Tinkerbell sprinkling pixie dust - simply magical. When I stood in front of Cinderella's castle on that first night there, I was instantly taken back to childhood, eating popcorn that my Dad made on a Sunday night (with lots of butter!), and I remembered marching down Main St. USA in Disneyland with my high school band in the Mickey Mouse parade in the spring of 1975. I remembered visiting that very place, Disney World, with my husband and 12 year old daughter in the summer of 2000 and they laughed at me because I cried when I got there ~ there is just something about Disney. Yes, the little girls and boys were excited to be dressed as princesses or pirates, but they are used to extravagant parties and events. At least for me, that first trip to Disneyland when I was a child was something so different and so magical that nothing compares to it. I didn't spend a lot of money on souvenirs or trinkets on this trip, I simply enjoyed the experience that you really can't grasp unless you are there. I saw very little fighting (only one REALLY rude man berating his young sons) - for the most part people are a little nicer, smiling a little more and enjoying the break in a fantasy land while our world is in chaos.
There was one thing that is a little 'troubling'. Though it was fantastic to have my bags retrieved from the airport and delivered right to my room, and I could attend workshops in the hotel and pay for my meals and purchases with my Magic Band, and even planning which rides to go on, all of it was convenient and easy. Then my roomie/friend and I were having our "Magic Kingdom" night and of course had to ride It's a Small World (a favorite from childhood). We didn't have to use our Magic Band to enter that ride, but it was there on our wrists. Imagine our surprise as we are floating past the last screen in the ride and we saw this:
our names - and "Goodbye"......... so Disney was tracking us! Yes, we knew that but when you see it on a ride it just gives you a little pause. I heard children behind us "there are our names!" It's nice to be recognized, but troubling to know the extent in our world that we can be watched. My anxiety over that didn't last long, I just accepted that Disney was using technology to make it easier for us to get around and easier for them to make money. Overall my trip to conference and Disney World was truly magical.
It can be troubling to learn that you are being watched and every move is recorded. I personally have come to accept that is the world we live in. So I enjoyed my trip back in time, I enjoyed the entire experience and I pushed the anxiety down and just allowed myself to be pampered, taken care of and experience the wonder of Disney surrounded by thousands of people doing the same thing. To see the complete and utter wonder in a little girl's face (or a big girl) as she saw a princess walk by is priceless, and I can't wait to take my granddaughters and experience that with them. It will be an investment, it will be a sacrifice, but it will be something they never forget.
I don't mind being 'watched' because I belong to a God that watches over me all of the time. He knows me more intimately that any Disney Magic Band. He knows what makes me anxious and He gives me comfort in those times. I still have to call on Him, but when I do He is there. All of the troubling things we face in our world today can drag us down if we let them. I choose to let the real magic, my God and Jesus, guide me and encourage me. I heard a story this last week of a young woman who couldn't afford to buy cheese for her family, all she wanted to do with her direct sales business was make enough money to buy a nice block of cheese. She is doing that and more. I also met women that are changing their own lives through hard work in an often brutal career. Direct sales is misunderstood and often berated. I experienced a week of magic, tears and connecting with real women who, like me, work hard and love what we do. That we got to sprinkle in a little pixie dust was just an added bonus!
Psalm 139:1-6 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I'm going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand. NLT
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