Well the time came for our pilgrimage to the American Mecca. It came in the form of an invitation from my Mom and my Dad. It seemed innocent enough at the time, “We ought ta go to Disney!” my Dad said. I replied with something flip like, “great as long as the grandparents of my children pay for it.” That was enough affirmation for Art. It would be the year two thousand, planning started about two years ago. I am not sure Abbie had even been born. But we were going to Disney.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go to Disney it is just that such a big step in the life of a family has to be considered carefully. Don’t want to go too early. It is important that the kids remember. I actually was concerned about Abbie who does not do that well in large crowds and new situations. It turned out she was fine of course.

And I am so glad that we went. The kids really had fun and to me Disney was a revelation. There are a couple of things that I noticed right off. Being a master of the obvious I noticed there were a lot of people. Throngs and throngs and throngs of people. And the entire time we were there it seemed as though there were just too many people for us or the park to manage. But somehow Disney is able to stay just this side of complete chaos. They are really good with throngs and throngs and throngs of people. There is always a bathroom right where you need it. The kids are always looked after. The wait in the lines though long is just this side of intolerable. The hassle to get in the park is not quite enough to put you off. I don’t know how they do it but they manage to cope with gazillions of people in a way that most go home happy. That is darn near a miracle.

One method of their magic has to do with their employees. I know there is an absolute premium on staying friendly and happy regardless of circumstance. That must be drummed into them in their training and I suppose there are constant spot checks to see if employees are being happy and friendly because those employees were ridiculously happy all the time. If it was the actors who had to be in big Pooh or Beauty and the Beast costumes in ninety degree heat or simply the people picking up trash in the same heat there was nary a scowl between any of them ever, ever.

My best example of this unflagging happy attitude was the cashier who in the midst of ringing up people in two different lines who were waiting for food, a long time for food, at one of the many walk up eateries in the Magic Kingdom, never wavered from ecstasy. There had to be hundreds of demanding, hungry, hot, people crowding around her. She had to wear some costume that had to make her even hotter than the evening. And she never missed a smile. Never ignored anyone. Asked everyone how their day was. Fielded every complaint with poise and joy. After watching this most amazing effort I got up to her and said, “I am astonished that you or anyone could do your job, and seem to be happy about it.” I said, “This wouldn’t happen in New York.” I expected some kind of confession like yea it is hard but we have to or else we will get fired. Or even yea tonight has been rough. Or even yea sometimes it can get a little tiring. Something to indicate that she was not some kind of ”Steppford” employee. But she did not miss a beat. She looked me in the eye and said with what seemed to be complete sincerity, “Its easy, I just get so much energy from all the guests here at Disney.” This woman had just had to listen to about a five minute tirade about how there were not enough food selections at this particular restaurant, and standing in line for pizza was such a waste, blah, blah, blah. Her smile never cracked. And it wasn’t fake as far as I could tell. It was genius!

Observing the whole event and hearing her response reiterated to me a very basic tenet of my belief system. It is true; you can choose whatever response you want to any given situation. You can be as happy as you choose to be, you can be sad and disgusted if you choose to be, you can be believing if you choose to be. Our response to this world, to our lives, to whatever situation we find ourselves is dictated by only one thing: personal choice.

If this were not true there is no possible way that this woman could have responded the way she did. She should have been nuts with frustration between the heat, the crowds, the demands, and her task.

It is true that she was being paid and that gave her the occasion or the reason, or the systemic parameters to act as she did but that does not change the fact that she could do it and did choose to do it. Perhaps that is what we all need, to find the kind of lives that we want. We need the occasion, the reason, or the systemic parameters to help us make the best choices for our lives.

Because we can choose anything. We can choose to respond any which way and those choices determine the quality of our lives.

This of course works to the positive or the negative as the reading from Mark illustrates. In that passage the response to Jesus determined the efficacy of his miracles. Because the people of his hometown thought they knew better it is said that Jesus could do few miracles. It is odd; isn’t it? You would think that a miracle is a miracle it either happens or it doesn’t happen and whoever is involved would experience it if it happened. But it is not true. There must be some kind of faith in the people for Jesus to do a miracle. Jesus just can’t produce a healing or a miracle. The people involved must help produce the miracle. If the people had responded with faith instead of unbelief how many more miracles would have happened in their lives?

It is like this. A part of our Disney experience was going to breakfast with the characters. It was simple. You go to this buffet breakfast, which is ok, but the real reason you are there is to see Mickey and Donald and Goofy and Pluto who circulate around the room greeting all the children. What I saw was some fledgling actors walking around in costumes. But what my children saw was Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto come to life. And if you could have seen their faces you would know they saw Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. I ask you who had the better reality.

The truth is that any of us can deny the magic and doubt the power of faith and your reward is to walk about this sad world as burdened and bored as a parent at Disney. Or you have the choice to suspend disbelief and enter a world more magical than Disney itself.