"Where there is kindness there is goodness. Where there is goodness there is magic." Love in Disneyland Paris

I could do a post about the cultural differences between Disney World and Disneyland Paris, but instead I have a story to share that made this trip so incredibly special.

I was waiting on line for the Peter Pan ride reading my book. Yes, I know how nerdy that sounds. When a little boy from the UK behind me was complaining about having to be on the long line. It was a 45 minute wait which, for Disney World we should be so lucky... but in Disneyland Paris the lines tend to move fairly quickly. The parents were getting very angry and having a heated discussion of do I want to hear this for 45 minutes, or should we just get off this line but let the child think he can dictate everything? After about 15 minutes, the negative feelings started to escalate. I am someone that gets very, very anxious in moments like this. I take on the vibes and emotions of those around me, which is a problem that I try to work on. But that's 29 years of habits to break which is quite difficult to fix. So after the millionth time of hearing the boy say, "I DON'T WANT TO GO ON THIS RIDE" I calmly asked, "Why not?". He became so embarrassed that someone other than his parents was hearing this he hid behind his mother. I didn't mean to embarrass him. But I was genuinely curious why he didn't want to go on the ride. I think the tone helped the parents have something else to focus on. That one simple question, not yelling at the kid, not giving parents a dirty look, just asking a human question, took all the air out of the negative energy that was building.

The parents and I started chatting and we had a lovely conversation. It came out they were Manchester United fans. If you read past blog posts, you know I have stayed in the city and look back on my time there fondly. I even did a tour of the Manchester United stadium, which I told the family. I specifically made sure to make eye contact with the little boy and tell him. I said, "Would you like to see the photos?" He looked away, still embarrassed. But the job was done. The family was done arguing.

When we were nearing the end of the line, the little boy perked up. He got a new energy, I suppose excitement from seeing the end is near. And all he wanted to do was talk about Manchester United. We had an amazing conversation showing each other photos of our adventures at the Manchester United stadium. He saw a game and he told me all about the experience. We got separated when it was time for me to go on the ride and they were behind me waiting to go on next. I gave him a big wave and he gave me a big smile and wave back. "BYE LADY!", he yelled. "Have a great time on the ride!", I replied. "Here we go-o-o!" as Peter Pan would say.

Faith. Trust. and Pixie Dust. Disney Magic at it's finest. I got off the ride and waited a little bit to see the family get off. Did the little boy have a good time? Or was he going to tell them he was right it was a waste of time? I looked back and saw them coming out the exit and all of them were smiling, the little boy was skipping! It made me feel like me butting in and asking such a simple question helped make a special moment.

I'm a typical New Yorker, I'm pretty grumpy in my natural state. But there's something about Disney that fills me with the more positive memories of my childhood. I also have been through enough therapy and self reflection at this point, that when I'm feeling a lot of tense energy, to do something positive. This was the first time I was able to practice it and it was such a positive experience I shall carry that experience for the rest of my life. Intention matters here folks. Most people would've judged those parents for their child's behavior and added to that negative energy. It would've made everything worse. Coming to folks with an open mind and heart served me well here. It was way more rewarding than any time I've engaged in a confrontation sticking up for myself. Hopefully, I can continue to get better at being kind.