The Last Step

It doesn’t feel real yet. I would guess that is mostly because it is the start of a holiday weekend. But ask me on Monday afternoon and I’ll most certainly tell you that I feel the change. Today was my last day at the office. I am, at the moment, unemployed. This is of course by choice. On Monday morning I will start my first day of student teaching. This is the final step of my current degree program.

I really enjoyed working at the funeral home. I felt that I was good at my job. In addition to working at the funeral home I also had the opportunity to teach mortuary science classes at Vincennes University. Even though I am leaving the daily grind of the office I will continue to teach those courses. I know what you’re thinking. Why leave if I loved the job, right? Well…it is a complex answer, but for this purpose I’ll answer it simply. More often than not I felt trapped. And nobody puts Andy in a corner.

Wordless Wednesday: I Am Here

...but I'm glad to be here.

Autonom-o-u-s-e (to be sung)

If you were to ask me who I believe has been most influential person in our society my answer may not surprise you. It is the reasoning behind my answer that throws a curve. The answer is simple. Walt Disney. Try to find one person who doesn’t recognize the name. Walt Disney was a dreamer with the means to make his dreams come true and in doing so has enabled for anyone to enter a cleverly crafted world of fantasy. Without a doubt the man was a genius.

I grew up in Orlando, Florida. I had a parent who once worked for Walt Disney World. I do not have the best opinion of WDW. Most people I have talked to about this issue have lumped Walt Disney in the same category as Sam Walton. They say things like, “If Walt were alive today he would be ashamed of what his company has become.” I disagree. I believe that WDW in Florida is exactly what Walt always dreamed. Had Walt lived to see the park open and be further developed I believe that it would be a much larger monster than it already is.

I came across an article today from a 1995 edition of The American Prospect. I encourage you to read the article here. It outlines the foundation of Walt’s plan for the Florida property. This article goes beyond the normal Disney secrets of land purchasing and details the ultimate goal of a Utopian society. Okay…don’t leave me yet. If you’ve ever been to Disney you will know that EPCOT was built to display Walt’s vision for a utopia. (Of course, you also know that a Utopian society looks great on paper but will never operate smoothly as long as people are involved.) But it extends beyond EPCOT. The entire park is the utopia of which Walt dreamed. Walt Disney World is in Florida but is not of Florida. It is the largest single site employer in the country. But the most impressive part is that the entire property is completely autonomous.

After reading this article I still believe that Walt is the most influential person of our society. But now I’m not sure if I should be impressed by his genius…or very frightened.