It all began today

Walt Disney was a big part of my childhood. He was a larger-than-life figure that I had great respect and admiration for. I still do.

I grew up in a different environment than we have today. Way back then television was a medium providing wholesome, family entertainment. It was such a part of our lives that most families had tv trays to hold their tv dinners while they enjoyed the shows.

Programming ended around midnight so working folks could go to bed and get a good night's sleep so they afford more tv dinners.

Walt Disney played a large part in keeping that wholesome, family atmosphere in the new medium, and the organization he built years ago still maintains that vision. This blog is dedicated to keeping the memories alive in those of us who grew up in that time.

In keeping with that spirit, you won't find anything on this blog that could be considered anything less than fit for the entire family. You're going to find a mixture of facts about the Disney organization as well as personal anecdotes and memories related to those facts. It's my hope you will find it interesting and, perhaps, inspiring. I did end up becoming an artist. (http://www.wildheartgallery.net/)

Just so you'll know where all this is coming from, I was the first-born child of a typical American family of the 1950s. I had a mother and a father who lived with me. But being the center of attention as an only child doesn't always last forever. After four wonderful years of it I was suddenly surprised by the addition of a baby sister. At the time I wasn't sure where she came from. She just showed up one day and stayed forever. Naturally, I let her know right off the bat who was in charge. But she was a sneaky child and somehow she managed to get a sidekick a couple years later in the form of another sister. As bad as I thought the first one was, the second one was even worse. And I was outnumbered at that point.

My father was a plumber, and a darned good one. He worked very hard to make a living for us, and he always took a nap on Sunday afternoons. It was a quiet time. My mother told my two younger sisters and I that our father needed his rest and we should play quietly. So we did.

But he eventually awoke and, later that evening, my dad would fix supper and give my mother a rest. It was usually something really yummy like barbecued ribs, salmon croquettes or boiled shrimp. It was Sunday, after all. I remember on those Sunday evenings I would stand in the kitchen and watch my dad prepare everything. Sometimes he would even let me help with minor tasks.

He knew I was good at minor tasks because he had tested my abilities to change the television station many times in the past. We only had three stations in those days so running through them didn't take that much time or skill. My wife realizes the limitations this ingrained in my abilities because today, with over a hundred stations and a remote, she feels I would be overwhelmed with the complexity. That's the reason she maintains control of the device at all times.

Being a typical American family of the fifties, naturally we lived in a small, three-bedroom ranch. And, of course, it had an equally small kitchen. But, being small myself at the time, I was able to squeeze my bony little body between the end of the countertop and the refrigerator so I could help my dad in preparing our Sunday supper.

If you've forgotten how those countertops were made back then, maybe this will spark your memory. They were typically a plywood base with linoleum (ours was dark green) glued to the top surface. As a finishing touch, there was a chrome, L-shaped band screwed along the edge. That served two purposes: it covered the vertical edge of the plywood, and it kept the linoleum from peeling up. This was long before Formica.

Anyway, when I stood there with my back against the fridge and my arms resting on the countertop, I always got a mild shock when I touched the metal edging. It wasn't bad, but it was enough to wake you up. After supper we would settle back in the living room and turn on the old black-and-white Zenith console television and watch Disneyland on ABC. In fact, this is the day it premiered.

My favorites were those Walt would pick, just for me, that featured a Donald Duck or Goofy or Mickey Mouse animated featurette. Those were the days. And if you'd like to see something interesting, check out today's video. It's a 9 minute clip from the very first Disneyland Television Broadcast. It was first aired on this date in 1954.

I'll apologize for the length of this first installment, but it was kind of an introductory session. Following posts will likely be shorter in length. I'm sure you have Disney memories as well. I would love to read any comments you would like to share.