When I was younger, I had the dream to someday become a mystical creature in nature. After I watched The Little Mermaid, I was overcome with the idea to become a mermaid. The idea that one could live and breathe underwater and communicate with the countless numbers of diverse fish that live in the ocean was truly enchanting, and the idea that a mermaid could call an extravagant coral reef a home mesmerizing. The idea of becoming a mermaid and fulfilling my dream was all too appealing, especially when introduced to a character as kind and strong as Ariel.
As a child I enjoyed exploration and stories, hearing them and making up my own. These were some of the ways I had found Ariel to be a character that I could relate to. I also admired the young Disney Princess for her talents and personality, the fact that she knew her dream and was determined to fulfill it, even if it meant sacrificing her enchanting singing voice. As a young girl Ariel seemed to be my favorite Disney princess as well as my role model. I wanted badly to become a caring and determined girl like her. I hoped to be able to live adventures such as hers and meet interesting characters similar to the sea friends she had. The Little Mermaid provided not only entertainment but also an illustration of what I hoped to be when I grew older.
Another notable detail of the captive tale was the beauty and wonder of the ocean. I can recall wanting so badly to live in a place as vibrant and special as the ocean. Being younger and not knowing that coral reefs are about one hundred times more impressive in real life, I was captured by the mystery and magical atmosphere of Ariel’s home. I was baffled by the thought that the mermaid princess could dream of little but becoming a part of the human world, a world that was simply normal to me. I would ask myself, why would she want that? Why wouldn’t she want to stay in such a beautiful place? After many years of pondering this, even when I grew too old for the movie, I discovered that maybe, just maybe, there was something as equally vibrant and special on land as there was in those gorgeous ocean environments.
I began to notice all the absolutely beautiful things on land; things that I took for granted and quickly labeled as “normal” without truly taking the time to examine them. As I grew older I noticed that people in general tend to take such things for granted until something as small as a children’s movie or as big as a campaign brings the idea to their attention. The valuable attention to detail in something as impeccable as nature was a strong lesson I learned, and have always appreciated, from The Little Mermaid.
HS
No comments:
Post a Comment