Hoffman 1
Nicole Hoffman
Professor Strickland
English
20 November 2012
Feel the Magic, Be a Kid Again
Hearing her aunt ask her to pose for another picture was torture. Yes, it was Makazia’s
first trip to Magic Kingdom, but that did not give her aunt, Nicole, permission to document every
second of it. It was cold and raining, and the firework show was going to start soon. The camera
flashed as she wrapped her arm around her little sister, Skylar, for the hundreth time that day.
Less than a second later, something triggered Skylar’s high pitched giggle, which infected
Makazia, who started laughing even harder – and the camera flashed yet again.
This is THE “Kodak Moment,” if there ever was one. So much emotion was captured in
the split second that it took me to press the button. Sporting her Mickey Mouse light up ears,
Makazia (on the left) was out of her comfort zone in front of the camera, but the happiness she
felt overcame her self-conciousness. Beside her was her rambunctious six year old sister who
couldn’t be more opposite. It was Skylar’s first time at Magic Kingdom too, and she loved it.
These two little girls were a handful, especially in an amusement park walking around all
day long. Waiting in line for rides and looking for Tatiana, the princess from Disney’s Princess
and the Frog, was not a small task. Sean (my boyfriend), Justin (my brother), and I knew it
would rain that day, but we hoped the beautiful Florida sun would shine through the clouds; it
didn’t. The rain probably stopped twice in the eight hours we were there. I was under the
impression we would leave right after the downpour began because our two ponchos could not
cover all five of us while waiting in the long lines. This is common adult/teenage thinking. As
soon as it starts to “rain on our parade,” teens/adults think the show is over, and it is time to go
Hoffman 2
home. Surprisingly, the rain and the long lines made our Magic Kingdom day the memory of a
life time.
What also made that day special was the anticipation beforehand. I am fortunate enough
to go to Florida every year, but the girls rarely get the opportunity. Every day I saw them before
our trip, Makazia would say, “I can’t wait to go to Florida.” It was so funny to see the serious
effort they put into their decision on which of the five Disney parks they would experience for a
day. We looked online at the maps and attractions, they asked me dozens of quesitons, and they
even took into consideration each other’s feelings (which is unusual behavior). They knew they
only had one chance to go, and Magic Kingdom was their choice. The deciding factor was, of
course, the fireworks show.
In a way, this picture lies, as do many advertisements for Disney World. On commercials,
we see the smiling happy faces of kids and their parents. The wonderful bright Florida sunshine
is shown on the backdrop of a beautiful blue sky. In addition, cheery music is playing in the
background while the happy family gets their picture taken in front of Cinderella’s castle. In
those short 30 second commercials, the little kids look like perfect angels who never have temper
tantrums and are in complete bliss all day long; my picture gives this false impression. For
example, you can’t see the arguments over who got to pick the next ride. You don’t see how
soaked our clothes and hair were, or that Kay’s (Makazia) flip flops caused her to slip on the wet
cement. You don’t see the tired, weary-faced adults behind the camera that were ready to call it a
night. And you don’t see the utter boredom in the two girls’ faces when they had to wait in
another hour-long line. The only thing this picture shows you is how happy the two girls are at
that moment. However, there are clues to our very rainy day if you pay close attention, like the
Hoffman 3
wet ground behind the girls and the woman wearing a poncho, but this gloomy atmosphere is not
expressed in their bright faces. It is as if they are the sunshine on that cloudy day.
Looking back now, they are the reason that we stayed. Even if this was the only time
their faces showed that much happiness during that trip, it was worth it to me. Although the day
was long and tiresome, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I got to spend priceless quality time with
my nieces. I know that when they are my age, Makazia and Skylar won’t remember every detail
of this day, even I can’t remember all of it, but they will have this picture to look at that will take
them back to their childhood. Even people who don’t know where the picture was taken or the
circumstances that led up to this moment, can mimic the emotion displayed on these two girl’s
faces. They can be taken back to a time in their childhood when they felt this much happiness
and couldn’t keep it from spilling over. This is the emotion I feel when I look at the picture.
The second the flash went off, Makazia was pulling and tugging for Skylar to “come on”
so they could find a good spot for the fireworks. As we followed the two litte girls in front of us, I
felt content with the picture I had just captured. I knew it was a keeper and that I would never
forget how much fun Magic Kingdom can be for young and old alike.
From left:
Makazia (10),
Skylar (7)