When they announced the re-release of The Lion King in 3-D, my initial reaction was one of hesitance and skepticism. It's a "new classic" - one I actually remember seeing in theaters the first time around. Mom came all the way up to summer camp, picked up my little brother and me, and took us to the movies. In those days, the movies were NOT an alternative "rainy day activity" at camp like they are today. Listen, when you're in the woods for eight solid weeks of bug juice and government peanut butter, you'll take any excuse you can get to run away!
Long story short, I went because it was a rainy Wednesday afternoon and Kit & I were trying to avoid cabin fever. We both love The Lion King and wanted to see if the "new" release was worth all the hype. We were not disappointed. There is something about a Disney movie that makes me inexplicably happy. It literally takes my breath away to see Cinderella's castle in the previews, and it never gets old. The films, the theme parks, even the store remind me of childhood being a simpler time. Yesterday was already a complicated mess in my head, dealing with the emptiness of my deflated marriage. This was the perfect solution for lifting my spirits.
Here's what I wasn't expecting: Life lessons from a baboon.
Adult Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back will mean facing my past. I've been running from it for so long.
[Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick]
Adult Simba: Ow! Jeez, what was that for?
Rafiki: It doesn't matter. It's in the past.
Adult Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.
Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.
[Rafiki swings his stick at Simba again who ducks out of the way]
Escaping the past is not an option. It will always be there. I've been running from the pain just like Simba did for a lot of years now, hoping that the hurt would go away. It hasn't. Rafiki offers the other option of learning from the past and I'm happy to say that I am working on that even as I write this.
So many of you sent me wonderful messages yesterday of encouragement, support and love. You shared your personal stories with me of how your lives have been affected by divorce or break-ups and how hard it has been to move on. Some of you have moved on more than others. Some of you still need time to heal. Some of you are in enviable relationships where you can say without a doubt that you're *happy* --- I love hearing from all of you.
Maybe this blog gives you the hope that true love is out there. Maybe it just makes you laugh at my mis-steps and keeps you giggling at the dating foibles I've encountered. Maybe it just lets you know that you're not alone.
Maybe there's something to the blue-assed baboon yet!
That is actually my sisters favorite part of the movie!
ReplyDelete