The plan for Day 7 was to go to Animal Kingdom. This was a much anticipated plan because we had never been to Animal Kingdom.
We got up early and were on the bus by 9 AM. Since it was Thursday, it was much busier. It seems the “long-weekend vactioner” traffic had begun. We got into the park and the first thing we saw was, in true Disney style, a souvenir kiosk. But this was no ordinary kiosk. This kiosk was filled with Eeyores! And these were no ordinary Eeyores. They were dressed in safari gear!! But wait…there is more…their tails were velcroed on, so they could come off (off course they had the trademark nail and bow)!!
Flashback to 1975:
Now, you’ve probably already read about my first trip to Disneyland and the Bear Country episode (if not see Day 6). I mentioned there that the Bear Country “episode” followed an Eeyore “incident.” Well, here is the much anticipated account of The Eeyore Incident of 1975.
In retrospect, I feel my parents should have been concerned about me from the start. It is probably true that part of my firing was due to my somewhat grouchy and blue demeanor. What do you expect from someone who, as a kid, had Eeyore and Oscar the Grouch as their favorite characters?
My love affair with Eeyore was especially intense and long-lasting. After I heard the story about the loss and recovery of his tail, it became the sole topic of many late night philosophizing sessions. I would lay in bed on hot summer evenings, sounds of the Indian Rodeo* drifting in through the window, contemplating Eeyore’s tail. I always felt that Owl was either not a good friend or not as smart as everyone claimed. Clearly that was a donkey tail and not fit to be a doorbell pull – CLEARLY!! Additionally, I spent much time ruminating on the reattachment of Eeyore’s tail. It didn’t seem like it hurt. There was no description of the pain of the reattachment. Eeyore wasn’t more depressed after that event (could one become more depressed when already at the Eeyore level of depression?). Yet, nailing his tail back on had to hurt, and the bleeding…wouldn’t there be a lot of bleeding?
When we arrived at Disneyland I was primed to meet Snow White, but I didn’t really realize that Eeyore might be there too, until we got through the front gate. There it was – 31 years ago, the same as it was today at Animal Kingdom – the kiosk, at the gates of Disneyland, an angelic light shone down upon the hundreds and hundreds of gloomy, blue Eeyores. I had to have one! Mom and Dad agreed that I absolutely had to have one, but at the end of the day. They didn’t want to carry Eeyore around all day. I remember thinking, “ARE THEY NUTS?!? Obviously, by the end of the day there will be no Eeyores left!” I looked back at the throngs of people at the gate, then I glanced at the kiosk. I quickly did some 5-year old’s math in my head. Yep, there would definitely be no Eeyores left. I explained this to my parents. They chuckled and assured me there were plenty of Eeyores to go around. Were they stupid? I mean seriously, look at the swarms of people at the gates, all Eeyore crazed. How could my parents be so dumb? I mean my Mom was a math teacher! Do the math, woman, for God’s sake…do…the…math…..!!!
The crying began. It intesified at Bear Country. It peaked when I had to sit in the mouth of the whale that swallowed Pinnochio. All I could think about was my poor poor Eeyore. I’d never get to show him my house, read to him, take him on the tricycle. He’d end up with some kid who didn’t appreciate him like I did.
Mericifully, as dusk fell about Main Street Disneyland, we returned to the kiosk. The warm glow of the California sun cast a dim light on the much diminished stock of Eeyores. An Eeyore was puchased** and has been treated with loving respect for the past 31 years. He still sits atop my shelf – 31+ years old, blue, fuzzy, tail attached.
Back to the present:
So here we were again, Mom and I, at an Eeyore kiosk at the gates of a Disney theme park. A quick rush of deja vu swept over me. Should I pick up the Eeyore on the way out? Then I thought, “Hell, I’m an adult now. I’m paying for this myself. I WANT to carry Eeyore around with me all day.” So I purchased the Eeyore. I said no to a bag, and Eeyore became part of the party. We took pictures of him eating breakfast at the Rainforest Cafe. A nice man kindly took a photo of the 3 of us outside the Tree of Life. People stopped to ask us if Eeyore was enjoying his day? Did he like that last ride? Did he need a booster chair? The funny thing is, everywhere we went that day I spied couples – childless couples – carrying around plush animals – parrots, Winnie the Poohs, Simbas. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who was experiencing of pure joy of unashamedly sharing the “Happiest Place on Earth” with an old childhood friend.
*When I was a kid our house was near the local rodeo grounds. The Indian rodeo was my favorite for several reasons. It was the noisiest rodeo, so I could leave my window open and dream up visions to match the sounds of the whoop-em-up fun. The Indian rodeo had Indian Princesses who wore the best costumes and rode the prettiest horses. I always felt badly that none of my ancestors were Indians, because I really wanted to be an Indian princess like TigerLily from Jungle Book, or Pocahontas***. Also, the Indian rodeo produced the most litter. Each year, after the rodeo, Grandpa Vern and I would pick up all the discarded aluminium cans along the roads by the rodeo grounds and turn them in for bubble-gum money.
**Unfortuantely, the insantiy of The Eeyore Incident of 1975 did not end there. Once we got back to my Aunt’s house in Long Beach, the story of my Eeyore fanatacism was related to the family. My cousins felt this was so funny that they wanted to experience for themselves the wrath of a puny little 5 year old with a very hot temper. They took Eeyore and played keep-a-away with him for the rest of the night.
***Mom and I met Pocahontas at Animal Kingdom. She was really sweet. No wonder John Smith fell in love with her!
Clearly Eeyore was a Christ figure… Yes, I’m sure that the nail hurt with the bleeding and so forth. But in his heart he knew that he was “taking one for the team” in the same way that Christ “died for our sins”.