LJ Idol 4 - Topic 17 - "The Funniest Thing"
A long time ago, in a decade far, far away, back when disco was popular and Star Wars was a brand new phenomenon, my father, older brother, and I made our first visit to the land of wishes and dreams - Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Florida. It was spring break. David and I were out of school for a whole glorious week, and we'd flown down from New York for seven days of basking in the warm golden rays. I waited with bated breath for my chance to meet the famous Mouse and his wife, along with the usual cast of popular cartoon and storybook characters.
In addition to the wonders of the Magic Kingdom, my father also took my brother and I to visit the launch complex at the Kennedy Space Center, Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa Bay, and Sea World.
I'll bet you sand dollars to doughnuts that if I were to say "Sea World" to someone, the first image that comes to mind is typically Shamu. Don't get me wrong, Shamu is undoubtedly a whale of a guy... or a whale of an Orca, to be more specific. Regardless, he's certainly Sea World’s most recognizable and beloved icon, but for me he will always pale in comparison with the star whom I crossed paths with thirty years ago.
His name was Charlie, and he was quite a catch. I fell for him hook, line, and sinker. Maybe it was the slightly dorky Drew Carey glasses that he sported. Perhaps it was his wide-mouthed smile, or the red beret that he wore cocked at a jaunty angle. All I knew at the time was that I simply had to have my photo taken with him!
I was only eleven years old back then - canny enough to understand that the larger-than-life characters who wandered around the park weren’t "real," but still young and naïve enough to not quite comprehend the inner workings of the costumes.
Being a bit of a character myself, I enthusiastically thrust my arm into Charlie’s mouth for the photo, so that it would look like he’d caught me.
Unfortunately for all concerned, what I wound up doing was thwapping the poor fellow inside the suit right in the nose! Needless to say, Charlie turned on me like a frenzied shark. And let me tell you something, you do NOT want a 6-1/2 foot tall enraged tuna coming after you!
*cue Jaws music*
Sorry, Charlie!
~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for therealljidol. I'm fishing for votes for both myself and my world-traveling partner, minikin, since we are still interconnected for this week's vote. I hope you enjoyed my entry, and as always thanks for your support!
In addition to the wonders of the Magic Kingdom, my father also took my brother and I to visit the launch complex at the Kennedy Space Center, Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa Bay, and Sea World.
I'll bet you sand dollars to doughnuts that if I were to say "Sea World" to someone, the first image that comes to mind is typically Shamu. Don't get me wrong, Shamu is undoubtedly a whale of a guy... or a whale of an Orca, to be more specific. Regardless, he's certainly Sea World’s most recognizable and beloved icon, but for me he will always pale in comparison with the star whom I crossed paths with thirty years ago.
His name was Charlie, and he was quite a catch. I fell for him hook, line, and sinker. Maybe it was the slightly dorky Drew Carey glasses that he sported. Perhaps it was his wide-mouthed smile, or the red beret that he wore cocked at a jaunty angle. All I knew at the time was that I simply had to have my photo taken with him!
I was only eleven years old back then - canny enough to understand that the larger-than-life characters who wandered around the park weren’t "real," but still young and naïve enough to not quite comprehend the inner workings of the costumes.
Being a bit of a character myself, I enthusiastically thrust my arm into Charlie’s mouth for the photo, so that it would look like he’d caught me.
Unfortunately for all concerned, what I wound up doing was thwapping the poor fellow inside the suit right in the nose! Needless to say, Charlie turned on me like a frenzied shark. And let me tell you something, you do NOT want a 6-1/2 foot tall enraged tuna coming after you!
*cue Jaws music*
Sorry, Charlie!
~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for therealljidol. I'm fishing for votes for both myself and my world-traveling partner, minikin, since we are still interconnected for this week's vote. I hope you enjoyed my entry, and as always thanks for your support!