Courtesy of Royal Collection Trust
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I knew, like most people, that Queen Elizabeth II was in her
last days. But when the news came, as
expected as it was, it still made me sad. Not because I had lived in England for many years. Nor because I love English history,
especially the Tudors, which, I might add, included Queen Elizabeth I. But because she unflaggingly, for 70 years
(!), seemed never to make a wrong step, but always had the vision of how to “be
Queen” perfectly in her sights, which meant putting country above self. And while she wasn’t perfect, as none of us are, I defy anyone to walk the balancing act she did over the decades. Encountering changes and challenges not only personally, but as the symbolic head of state for her country … and doing it with grace, dignity, and respect. |
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I leave the history to Red, but I
cannot stop thinking about how most of Great Britain has only known one head of
state, Queen Elizabeth II. For that
matter, that is true of Canada and the many other countries
where the British Monarch is head of state.
She was a link to an almost vanished generation yet was a rock that helped stabilize decades of significant social change (and, family challenges) with dignity and humility. She was both an institution and an icon, and her loss will be enormous … for the family, the country, and the world. Queen Elizabeth II was a ruler for the ages, over the ages … |
Red
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Black
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Photo courtesy of Black
| You've mentioned going to Make-A-Wish events where Wish kids learn they're about to go to Disney World in Orlando. So, I'm curious, do you wear your Minnie Mouse ears or oversized Mickey Mouse hands? |
| They are called “Wish Reveals.” And, yes, to the ears. But, the hands are a bit much since they’re always distracting. |
| No kidding! I’ll never forget you wearing them for “Dress as your favorite character day” when we were teaching at KIPP Houston High School. It was one of the funniest Red & Black classes. Ever. |
| The funny thing is that other than wearing the ears and oversized hands, everything else was impromptu. |
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Blackassets.rebelmouse.io | Perhaps, but I also remember you wore a short black leather skirt and your usual Christian Louboutin black heels with red soles, except this time they were boots. Which, I might add, are the perfect Minnie Mouse colors. |
| Well, there was no way I would wear a red polka dot dress. |
| Which you proceeded to explain to the students is also how Minnie feels. That she only wears it “at work” because she’s paid to. After all, she’s a business tycoon, and prefers designer clothing to tacky dresses. Not to mention, outside of work, she’d never wear the same exact outfit every day. |
| Yes, and your point is? |
| That alone was funny enough, but explaining it while “in character” and gesturing with those oversized white hands just made every word hilarious. |
| I did not even need to do a squeaky Minnie Mouse voice. |
| All I know is that if someone had told me when we were kids and visiting Disney World shortly after they opened, that my big sister would one day entertain high school seniors with a business lesson about Minnie while “in costume”, I’d have said they were crazy. |
| I cannot believe that was 50 years ago. Did you know that Mickey and Minnie were born on the same day and are almost 100 years old? Animation is the ultimate fountain of youth. |
| Is that why you like to use our animated creatures, rather than us, as often as possible?! But if they’re ageless, what determines their birthday? |
| November 18, 1928, was the day “Steamboat Willy,” the animated short film that made Mickey (and his girlfriend, Minnie) famous, was released. |
| Even though they were never my favorite cartoon characters, I still remember the first time I saw that film. It was somewhere on Main Street, USA at Disney World, and it was in black and white. I’ve never forgotten it. |
| I am fascinated by how one animated short became an entertainment empire. And, to think that Mickey was a mouse because Walt Disney signed over the rights to his first creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. |
| Is that why, when Red & Black was first created, you refused to give over the rights to anything and everything that we created? I always assumed it was because you were a control freak. |
| I admit I am a control freak, but would like to think it is selective. For example, controlling the Red & Black brand so that it represents what we stand for and believe. When you say “Disney,” it conjures up an image of being wholesome and family-appropriate. And, Mickey and Minnie are an integral part of that. It is the power of a brand and has made Disney the brand it is today. |
| Yes, and I remember you telling that to the students, even going so far as to explain the value of the brand as an intangible asset. It was probably the funniest explanation of the concept anyone’s ever heard, but that’s because you did it while wearing those oversized white mouse gloves. |
| Who knew that Minnie could make learning so much fun? |
| So, what do you think Mickey would’ve thought of that? Especially as he’s used to getting top billing. |
| I know that Mickey may get most of the attention, and even his own day, but never underestimate the power of Minnie … |