Summer was arriving in 1975, and my mother was taking me to my very first movie in an actual theater.  I was 5 years old, the youngest of three children in a hardworking, middle-class family. My father worked hard to provide for us, and my mother made a home for our family.  That afternoon, I was about to discover something magical that would stay with me for the rest of my life.

Going to a movie was a real adventure when I was five.  We had a pretty modest upbringing, and splurging on a movie was a big deal! Getting cleaned up, putting on nice clothes, and going to do something with my mom by myself was a special occasion. And she certainly went out of her way to make it so. Large popcorn, extra butter, a box of candy she snuck into her purse for me, and a soda. I had never seen a space so big. There weren’t many people there that afternoon, and it felt like we had the whole space to ourselves. The chairs were so big and plush that my shoes barely reached the edge of the cushion. Then, the dark red curtains opened (yes, they actually had working curtains in front of the screens back then), the lights dimmed, and a Disney classic began.

Bambi.

I was on the edge of my seat with a huge smile on my face. I remember not only looking up at the screen but also looking over at my mom in amazement. Bambi was growing up, learning about the world around him alongside his friends Flower and Thumper, my personal favorite. In a way, I was growing up too, discovering stories that could make me laugh, hold my breath, and even bring me to tears No spoilers here! Even for a film that’s 84 years old!

I always watched The Wonderful World of Disney on television. I loved the live-action adventures, the animated shorts, the nature stories, and the short educational programs about people and places each week. But seeing Bambi on the huge screen was something I can’t forget.

A few months later, we made our first trip to Disneyland as a family. I’ll share memories of that first trip in another post. But needless to say, I was hooked. The wonder, the excitement, the stories, and the characters. There was no place in the entire world like Disneyland for a boy that age, even if we could only afford a couple of E-ticket rides. I really did believe in the magic that Disneyland promised.

And here we are now, in 2026. Quite a different time. The internet, social media, video games, and other distractions. I’m a middle-aged man now. Two marriages. Kids have grown up. I’ve had plenty of dreams since that time I wished upon a star under the castle. Somewhere along the way, bills, priorities, and work obligations became part of everyday life. My busy life is so different from what I could have imagined as a young boy.

I want The Mouse and the Meaning to be a little different. Rather than focusing primarily on Disney news and events, I want to explore what Disney has meant to me and how it continues to influence my life.  As I’ve grown older and more reflective, I see that sometimes the things we loved as children become the things that help us stay connected to the parts of ourselves we don’t want to lose as adults. Perhaps revisiting those things helps us reconnect with something worth keeping: imagination, curiosity, adventure, and new inspiration to dream.

I don’t know exactly where this blog will take me. Maybe it will lead to old memories, new adventures, or a better understanding of why a place like Disneyland can mean so much to a person long after childhood has passed.

What I do know is that the things we love when we’re young don’t always have to become things we outgrow. Sometimes they simply grow with us.

And maybe the magic was never just about being a kid. Maybe it was about learning how to see the world with a little more wonder.

That’s what I hope to explore here, one story at a time. I’d be glad to have you along.