wilderness01...Of course, my initial reaction was to want to go over to the person who made my dd cry right when we got to WDW!!! As a mom, my "protective" feathers were very much ruffled. I still do not think what happened was right, but I did not see the exchange, and only heard about it from a crying three year old.
However, there are probably a myriad of reasons why I refuse to see Art badly. I am sure my "childhood" memories, and my belief in what Walt was doing, and why he was doing it play some part in the choices I make regarding WDW. But, I think the biggest reasons are, first...I cannot change Art (and, I wouldn't want to if I could), but we will surely encounter him on every trip (at least for the next few years)....usually when we check-in. When my dh brought my dd over to me, I had a choice....I could get really mad, go confront him, and have our trip start off in a VERY "less than magical" way, or I could smile, explain to my dd that crying over this was silly, that she got the pin she wanted, and everything was fine (honestly, three year old girls cry a lot). We were at Beach Club, she was going to get go swimming, and later we would go eat with Cinderella. She said to me, "Mommy, he is a mean man." Again, here I had a choice....I could say, "Absolutely, and he had no right to make you cry." Or, I could say, "No baby, he's not mean....he has just lived a very long time, and has to stand all day. I think he must be tired or does not feel well. I'm sure he didn't mean to make you cry....I bet he's some little girl's Papa, just like you have a Papa...and, I bet he LOVES getting hugs from her, just like your Papa loves getting hugs from you. Maybe we should bring him something next time to make him feel better." (I don't remember EXACTLY what I said...but, it was something along those lines.) Now, if I immediately went to management and complained about him....I'd be lying to my dd (not to mention, taking time out of my vacation to "complain").
Now, why would I do this? Because we are going to see him pretty frequently over the next few years. If I can make my dd see him as someone who adds to the magic, rather than someone she tries to avoid...isn't that a better situation for everyone?
Also, because she is so blessed to grow up in an upper-middle class lifestyle, she gets SOOOO much. She is the only grandchild on my dh's family, and the only girl on mine. She has our entire families wrapped around her finger. We live in an affluent area, and all of her friends come from affluent families as well (she goes to a very expensive private school...so, all the kids she knows come from $$$). Yet, my dh and I came from VERY poor families...we have just been very blessed. It is important to us, that even though we give her a lot, that she treat EVERYONE with respect. We really have to watch her, or that "princess" attitude definitely sneaks in. Was she mad at Art? Sure. Why....not because he was "mean" to her, but because he didn't let her trade the pin she wanted. Now granted....she was right, and he was wrong. But, either way, he is her elder, and deserves her respect...if he says "No"...she needs to accept that, and go on. Crying to mom because she did not get her way is not something I do not want to get the habit of "fixing" for her. As her mom, of course I think Art was wrong for not apologizing for making her cry, and trying to make amends to an upset three-year old...but, maybe he feels he did by trading with my dh. When you look at the situation from Art's point of view, maybe he saw her crying as "another spoiled child" wanting her way. I don't know....I wasn't there, I was checking us in. But, if she cannot pin trade by a cast member's rules (even if they are wrong) and be courteous to the cast member while she is trading...maybe she is not old enough to trade.
So, rather than reprimand her, or reprimand him....I figured we would make light of the situation, and try to encourage her to "befriend" him so that her hard feelings do not linger everytime she sees him. She loves it when we "make" things to give to people, and I thought making "treats" to give to some of the CM's that we see frequently would be a good activity to get her excited as we get ready to go on our next trip. She has actually been talking about what we can make to "Cheer Papa Art up", and she has actually prayed for him to feel better. I think that is MUCH more healthy than worrying about whether or not she will see the "mean man" when we go back. And, maybe it will "spread a little magic" to someone who has found himself in a position to work long hours standing on his feet at an age when most of us would rather not be working. I DO feel for him. Maybe because my grandparents died when I was young, or maybe because I have worked jobs (in amusement parks) when I had to stand all day....and I was a teenager. It's hard work, and he's got to be in his 70's. Bottom line, he is my elder, too. And, the respect I show him is giving him the benefit of the doubt.
I don't think my approach is the best approach for everyone, and maybe my approach is flat out wrong....but, God entrusted this little child to me, and I have got to teach her the lessons about life that represent my values. Trying to understand why someone may be grumpy, and look for the good in them anyway is something I believe in....especially when they are at her favorite place on Earth.
Beca