Fun Monday

Roger from A Screed in Time is hosting Fun Monday this month. What is Fun Monday? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure, but it looks interesting. Last week Roger gave us this challenge: "For this week I would like you to answer one of the following questions (yes, I am giving you a choice); If you could pick any ten years over again, without changing them, which ten years would you choose and why? These years do not have to be consecutive years, but there should be ten, okay? Your second choice is, explain the wonders of living in orbit over the moon, or any planet of your choosing (not Earth) for ten years, describe what you think life would be like and if so inclined, describe the planet."

The problem with picking out years to relive is that I don’t think I am strong enough to resist trying to change things. The fact that I love my life now and feel extraordinary loved and blessed should be pull enough to help me resist the urge, but I know myself and well, I just don’t think I could handle the temptation. So going back in time just isn’t an option for me! Right about now you are thinking, “Wait, you wouldn’t really be going back in time silly. You are just supposed to write about it.” My response to that is “Apparently you are still unaware of how powerful my writing can really be!”

Yeah. Right.

Um...anyway. Since I decided against writing about my past, I was left with the task of writing about 10 years of orbiting around another planet. At first I relished the idea of writing about ten Rhonia years. It’s been weeks (months?) since I’ve allowed myself to become immersed in my fictional world and I am missing it. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that I am simply not ready to share MY Rhonia with the rest of this world quite yet. In fact, I may need another 10 years before I am ready for that. So since I couldn’t complete either parts of the challenge there is nothing left for me but to apologize for skipping the first week. Forgive me?

The topic for this week's Fun Monday is Bugs Bunny vs Mikey Mouse. This is an easy one. I grew up watching Bugs Bunny, but it wasn’t because I really LIKED Bugs. He was pretty much the only game in town back then. If there were weekly Mickey Mouse cartoons, I didn’t know about them. To me, Mickey wasn’t a TV character. Mickey was the host of Disney World! Is there a more magical place on earth? I think not.

My Anna disagrees. Oh, don't let this smiling face fool you.

Or this one.

She did have tons of fun at parks, but apparently the awful trip home was enough to tarnish the whole Disney experience for her. So much so that around the midway point in the drive she declared that "next time we want to go to Disney World, we should just stay at the beach hotel instead!" <-referring to our previous vacations at Orange Beach, AL, a mere four hour drive from our home. The rest of the gang readily agreed and I have to admit that my heart sank a little hearing them voice their preference for the beach over Disney.

When I was growing up, my family did not take vacation trips. I am the oldest of seven children and while my parents both worked hard to feed, clothe and educate us, luxuries like family vacations just weren't an option. At least not all together. My grandparents, OTOH, did travel often and nearly every summer, they would bring along several grandchildren with them. When I was 13 or 14, I was lucky enough to accompany them to Disney World the year Epcot first opened. The wonder of that trip will never leave me.

Even if you take theme parks out of the equation, I'm still going to have to choose Mickey over Bugs. The Bugs Bunny cartoons are filled with wisecracks, tricks and insults. I've never been a big fan of that. Yeah, yeah, it's funny...but it's also kinda mean. Tune in to an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and you'll find interactive education! Come on...I'm a preschool teacher. Of COURSE I'm going to prefer that over "What's up doc?"

Sorry Bugs, while I total respect your rap abilities, I'm sticking with the Mouse.