How Disney Movies Are a Part of My Journey

While laying on my bed doing homework on my laptop, I decided to put a movie on Netflix, and as I was going through the list of the recommended films, Cars 3 was on the list. I thought, okay, I’ll just put Cars 3 on for some background noise since I’m not really going to pay attention to it. It’s a Walt Disney film, and you’re a bit too old to be watching it anyway.

But as I started to do my school work, I began to listen and began to see the plot. Lighting McQueen was retired, but he didn’t want to give up on the one thing he loves the most — race car driving — despite everyone telling him just to quit and enjoy retirement. While Lighting McQueen is determined to prove everyone wrong, he faces obstacles and challenges along the way. In a society where everyone once loved and admired him , everyone seems to have turned on him.

I could relate to that, and I know the feeling because when I left public school to be homeschooled everyone doubted that I was going to become successful and get my high school diploma. The people that I consider my friends didn’t hang out with me anymore, and the young man who I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with dumped me on Valentine’s Day.

I just had the odds against me at that point, but I didn’t stop until I reached the finish line, holding up my nice shiny trophy — my high school diploma.

The Walt Disney Company did an excellent job with the storyline, plot, and message of Cars 3, which is no matter what the obstacle is don’t give up. It’s a message everyone should remember when they feel like giving up on themselves. You just have to keep going no matter what or, like what I like to say, keep on stomping on your obstacles.

The next Walt Disney movie I relate to is 1989’s The Little Mermaid. In many ways, I always saw myself in Ariel since Ariel had the desire to be a human and forget about her life under the sea. Meanwhile, here I am, a 22-year-old woman, wanting to be free from cerebral palsy, wondering what it’s like to step my feet on the sidewalk without having wheels as my legs. Or, what my life would be like if I weren’t physically disabled and I was able to explore the world on my own without needing a physician assistant. If it weren’t for my physical disability, I would be stationed overseas somewhere because I would be serving this country.

Then again, my life would be entirely different if I were just “average”. I guess I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities if it weren’t for my disability.

Needless to say, I think Ariel learns the hard way that you are made the way you are for a reason and that’s the way I look at it, too. Yes cerebral palsy is a pain, but it’s a part of me, and I’m proud to say that I’m own mermaid.

I wouldn’t change my life for anything, even if I had an evil villain like Ursula come to me and tell me she has the answer to curing my cerebral palsy. I would say “no, thanks” because I’m happy with the life that I have.