The Happiest Place On Earth.....

I have a confession to make: I am part of a family of Disney FANatics. The first step to recovery is admitting that one struggles with certain issues or vices.  My vice: I'm married to a Disney FANatic, who has turned me into a Disney FANatic.  Unfortunately, we enable each other! That's right, we're enablers! We do the Disney runs. We go to Disneyland for weekly date nights and family time. I even use Disney for daddy-daughter dates. As you enter Disneyland, there is a plaque overhead that says the following:

Disneyland is known as "the happiest place on earth."  It truly is a magical and marvelous place where children feel the magic of princesses, heroes, a talking toy cowboy and toy spaceman, pirates and ghosts, and a famous race car! Disneyland is where adults feel like children all over again. Everyone knows who Mickey Mouse is. Everyone is familiar with Disney and Disneyland (due to Disney's incredible and pervasive marketing!)

Cast members are incredible people! A HUGE part of their job is to be NICE and POSITIVE to EVERYONE! Albeit Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, the magic does not magically transform ALL people who go to the parks!  There are still a few people you may encounter (park patrons) who do not exhibit the most positive of attitudes or are the best examples that humanity has to offer. Yet, despite these park-goers' less than stellar manners, cast members are required to treat them with respect and greet them with the most positive of attitudes, always with a smile on their face. Dixie definitely personified the Disney Cast Member: always smiling, happy, and positive, despite her long works hours and attending online school courses at the same time.  My family and I loved seeing her and having her here in Orange County, CA.

Albeit Disneyland is considered by many as the happiest place on earth and a magical world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy, few people are aware of its close proximity to a not-so happy place on earth.  Only a few blocks away, there is a large congregation of homeless who have taken up residence along the Santa Ana riverbed.  This community of homeless is known as Anaheim tent city and is literally under the shadow of the Big A next to Angels Stadium.

The City of Anaheim has declared Tent City to be a health hazard and a state of emergency for the city. Living conditions are abjectly poor: sanitation is a major concern; drug use is rampant; crime is high. Many of the Tent City residents have their own struggles, vices, and addictions, including drug abuse, alcoholism, and mental health disabilities.

In honor of Dixie the Cast Member, who is always smiling, helpful, happy, and cheerful, I looked for an opportunity to offer Christ-like service in her name for others who are living in less-than "happiest place on earth" circumstances.

I armed myself with socks, gloves, and beanies I had acquired at a local thrift store, and several boxes of granola bars, bottles of water, energy bars, apple sauce squeeze packets, and other individually-wrapped snacks that were donated by a generous client, and I went to Tent City early one Friday morning before heading to work to hand out items that would possibly provide a little warmth and food for several less-than-fortunate individuals.

It did not take long to hand out the food and clothing items. It is hard to describe the look expressed by an individual's eyes when you hand them a pair of gloves, socks, and a beanie in the cold hours of the morning before the sun has risen above the Santa Ana mountains, accompanied with items of food and water.  A beanie and a granola bar can warm the coldest spirit that has very little, if any, hope for the day to come. It was an honor to make some people's day a little warmer and brighter in Dixie's name and place this year.

Merry Christmas, Dixie!  Love you!

Garrett