Hi everyone. You know how a lot of Disney fans talk about certain moments in the classics that they feel they can relate to? Like for example, if the death of Bambi's mom or Mufasa made them cry because they lost someone close to them-something like that. I haven't often felt that way with certain films. I usually watched them just for the entertainment-at least as a little kid. But I do feel the emotions from a lot of Disney moments. Anyway, my point is that I am going to write about a few Disney characters I feel like I can connect with based on moments of my own.
Baloo[]

I don't always feel the bare necessities of life like Baloo does.
I'm just going to start off with Baloo because I just watched The Jungle Book last night (plus, August is my favorite month to get into The Jungle Book and Robin Hood). The poignant story is probably the movie's biggest strength in my opinion. We all get attatched to people in our lives; friends, love interests, parents, and yes even children. My high school had a daycare for teachers and staff to drop off while they do their jobs and to help students practice work skills in the community. I had a fun school year working their from the 2009-2010 school year, but there was a big change that I was secretly dreading the following year. While I made good connections with most of the children in the preschool section, there was one little girl I made "friends" with who was actually the daughter of my past art teacher. I didn't mean to get attached to her, but it was just something that automatically happened on the inside. I made sure it had no effect on the outside, but I was dreading her departure to kindergarten because I was never going to see her again just like how Baloo was forced to be separated from Mowgli. In addition, I had a counselor, who despite her kind and gentle nature had a concern that I wasn't making friends with my "own kind". That made me think of Bagheera's line of "Birds of a feather should flock together". My interpretation of that line was that those who make friends with have to look the same as us on the outside. So, in that retrospect I felt judged on the outside. I knew that I was going to have to let go of my attachment of the little girl no matter how much I didn't want to, just like how Baloo had to let go of his attachment to Mowgli since he had to go to the Man-Village to be safe from Shere Khan. I had a hard time when the time came, but I moved forward piece by piece since I knew it was for the best. Besides, this girl didn't have a problem with moving forward. She handled it pretty well. I'm the one who needed to work on things. That's how I relate to Baloo.
Elsa[]

I have trouble letting my issues go sometimes.
Even though Anna is my personal favorite of the two Frozen sisters, I'd definetly say that I have felt similar emotional confidence problems as Elsa. When I was a little kid, I thought there were only right ways and wrong ways to everything-"black and white thinking" as most people put it. Infact, I didn't even know there were such things as facts and opinions, My most notable example is that I interpreted annoyed reactions as the people's way of saying that what I'm doing is bad. I didn't know I had autism until I was 18 years old (heck, I didn't know autism existed when I was a little kid). Anyway, the way I see it, my family had a habit of taking the easy social way; expressing negative opinions when they felt like it, my parents letting their frustration out easily during bad situations, and my siblings telling me to shut up when I babbled too long. As I got older, I got anxious and paranoid that these behaviors would keep happening again. So I decided that I had to keep my habits, cheerful personality, and voices as under control as possible much like what happened during Elsa's childhood concealing her powers-and it was not always easy. Now please don't take this wrong, my family was not cruel or abusive like the Dursleys or Cinderella's step family, they just had trouble expressing their emotions properly-I just tended to misinterpret. But with the help of counseling and art therapy, I was taught that there are plenty of times and places where I can let loose and feel free. So I can just let it go, let it go, can't hold it back anymore -whoops. I got off topic for a second. Unfortunately, unlike Elsa, I can't always let it go. There are environments where I know I have to conceal some things and behave properly based on certain social rules (like at work or church), but I have learned that concealing not feeling can be too psychologically unhealthy at times. We all need chances to feel free once in a while and focusing only on the negatives doesn't do us any good. My guess it that's one of the reasons why Elsa and her "theme song" got so wildly popular. Besides, my family members have matured and they are truly well-meaning and good-hearted.
Fear[]

If my emotions had same kind of workers in the movie, this emotion would probably be the leader.
This one is pretty obvious. I think I have mostly covered why I relate to Fear in the Elsa segment of this blog, but I can talk a little more about Fear. Whether it's a social situation, anticipating a scary part from a movie, anticipating an important test, or even coming across a plastic great-horned owl, I have a habit of automatically getting anxious and twitchy. I guess I usually feel like Fear during moments where I am twitching to know something but I'm trapped by uncertainty. I definetly felt like that way when I had to take college tests. I was always warned that failure would mean having to repeat this class, and I'm not great at handling feedback that easily. Math was the worst subject to be hearing it; that's my academic "kryptonite". I think "What if this happens? What will it mean? Will the world be upset with me?" All sorts of crazy things. Plus, in terms of the emotions in Riley's head when it was just Anger, Fear, and Disgust, it matched how my siblings and I usually were. My sister was the Disgust who groaned and complained at almost everything if she was in a bad mood and sometimes belittled me. My brother was the Anger; he had a stubborn personality that wasn't usually open to suggestions or other opinions. When he made a decision, he refused to listen otherwise. I also remember he hit me when we were younger kids when he was REALLY angry with me just like what you see Anger to to Fear during the destructions of Friendship and Hockey Island. And obviously, I was Fear who was the anxious guy who tried to remain positive. Like I said before, they are definetly good-hearted and well-meaning but they worked hard to change their negative ways. Besides, I'm sure everyone has had off moments with their siblings once in a while.
Jiminy Cricket[]
Always let your conscience be your guide, especially if that conscience is me.
A lot of people say that if I were a Disney character, I'd be Jiminy Cricket. I may not be the greatest social expert in the world, but I always try my best to stay positive. I always try to convince others to do the same. Sadly though, it doesn't always work, at least not when minds are too distracted by the problems surrounding them. In addition, I am currently majoring in Early Childhood classes. And in most of settings where I watch over little kids, I try to get them to follow rules but also find a bright side and a solution if they were having a lot of trouble, much like what Jiminy did with Pinocchio. And like Pinocchio, the day care kids I have worked with do what they want without thinking anyway. Sometimes it doesn't do any harm, but there have been plenty of days when their refusal to listen got them into big trouble with their official teachers and parents. An example I can share is when my younger cousin was 6 years old. He and his twin sisters were staying over, and all he wanted to do was play Mario Kart: Double Dash and win a race. But when his mother made him shut it off for the day, he put up a huge fuss. I tried to get him to understand that having fun was more important than winning, but he still argued that he wanted to win. And he just folded his arms and pouted for the rest of the visit. So, I guess not everyone is willing to listen to us when we try to share suggestions and ideas. But that should not stop us from trying to make the world a better place. I know it won't stop me.
And that was my blog on Disney characters I can relate to. I hope you liked it. Feel free to share your opinions on the comments section below.