"I'm hoping to go to Disney World tomorrow night if I can find someone to go with," she said. Only in retrospect did I realize this was potentially an invitation. Yet never can I consider this New York sophisticate would wish to spend time with a country bumpkin like me. Indeed we were here at this conference partly to study matters like perfectionism, like being "egomaniacs with inferiority complexes", "comparing one's insides with other's outsides", terms that I could relate to but surprised me to learn that friends like Julie did too. Yet that's the case with the gifted and talented. Under all that success there's often a compulsion to judge not by the achievements but indeed by that which one has yet to do. I've acquired all manner of degrees, made millions, sailed oceans and yet I only remember that I have never climbed a mountain with ropes,or jumped out a plane or won a prize greater than the one's I already have. That's was the same for others like Julie attending this conference addressing things like cognitive restructuring.
Other friends were going to La Circle de Soleil, a Montreal group of dancers, actors, acrobats and much much more. This troupe is world reknowned and quite possibly extra dimension it is so original and magical. I didn't really want to make plans but felt I really ought to get some Disney experience in and kept hearing that adults alone liked the Epcott Centre best. I might well have enjoyed Magic Kingdom too but the Space Ride and Planet Earth made the decision easier.
I loved Planet Earth as it took one back through history to the future. Then despite making the mistake of having coffee and donuts really enjoyed the Space Mission to Mars. Partly because I had a little girl beside me being Commander. She was maybe 6. I was the Engineer and her grandmother was the pilot. Grand dad was doing something at the end of the row but the girl was the most excited to be in space. Maybe I was more excited when we almost crash landed on Mars. It was that "virtual".
The Round the World was a great walk. For those who've not been to Europe or Asia it was really a representative smorgasboard a bit like a World Fair. Canada had an exhibit featuring heavily First Nations and Fur trapping which might explain why Americans are surprised when as a doctor I do have a stethescope and actually know what an MRI does. We actually have them in our Igloos. The Celtic Heritage was represented and a band played fine east coast jig music but I only heard them when I was already moved on to the French and Italian cafe districts. I also just caught the tail end of an English group performing rock and roll. The performers really captured the ambience well. The Viking exhibit with anthropologically sound representation of their distant travels by raiding ships in very early years was very impressive. I did like the Indian one and Middle East one too. I gather that they rotate with different countries having representation so that it's not just a static event. It was quite a hike and I didn't even go on any more of the rides or tours.
I was literally exhausted with sore feet and tired legs after 2 hours and glad to catch the bus back to the hotel. Lo and behold there was Julie and her beautiful physician friend Lori.
"You've caught me, " I said. "I've been stalking you."
"We were behind you. So we were stalking you."
Julie and Lori weren't interested in anything more than knowing whether I was the pilot or commander or engineer on the Space Ride. We discussed that and other attractions on the way back to the hotel. There was a dance that night with disk jockey and dance lessons but after I admitted to being utterly lame the girls confessed that they we
re limping at the end too. I don't kn
ow why as they're clearly half my age and carrying a half of my weight.It was a good night. The Epcott Centre was a lovely stroll geographically. It certainly made me want to go back to places I'd been and definitely I'd sign up for the Mars Mission, but this time skip the donuts and coffee.
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