Life Lessons from Minnie Mouse

Yes, I am talking about Minnie Mouse.  And let me just start with I don't love Minnie Mouse.  She's my least favorite of my beloved Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto).

Photo by Michael Gardner

Now being the Disney fanatic that I am, I never really come out and say anything negative about Minnie.  I just avoid making her my focus in anything...school, home, vacations, clothing.  It's never really Minnie, and because Disney is so vast, nobody seems to notice.  However recently, Disney has partnered with a number of companies who sell products I like (LuLaRoe | Jamberry) and I'm the schmuck that will pay an extra $10 because it's Disney.  But so MUCH of it is Minnie Mouse, that so far, it's been pretty easy to "Just Say No".  

Many of my friends are on the hunt for me though.  And since I've never expressed the aversion to Minnie,  I get texts of pictures asking if I like this or that.  I am so appreciative that they are thinking of me!  But I feel slightly awkward because, no I don't like it.  Which leads to the inevitable question of why so that my lovely friends know what NOT to look for...and I have to admit, that I don't love Minnie.

However, having to answer this question has given me the chance to reflect on why I don't like Minnie.  I have come to the realization that as a child, I didn't like what she represented (to me) in a female presence.   I grew up thinking I could literally do ANYTHING.  I had an incredibly STRONG female model in my mother and in my aunt.  These women literally did everything and anything.  So when I would watch Minnie on TV, what I saw in her conflicted with what I saw in my family.

via GIPHY

I saw Minnie wait helplessly as she called for Mickey to help her.  RUN FOOL!
I saw Minnie become jealous.  GET OVER IT!
I saw Minnie become angry at Mickey for things he could not control.  IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!
I saw Minnie treat her friends with spite and get into petty arguments.  GIRL!

Granted, I realize all this was done for the sake of entertainment.  To get a laugh, if you will.  But for some reason, in my young and impressionable mind, I did not find it entertaining.  I just saw characteristics of a female that I did not want to be or have.

I learned through my family and through Minnie's non-example that:

I wanted to be able to take care of myself.  I don't need to be saved by anyone but me.
I never wanted to be jealous.
I wanted to be able to see both sides of any situation and understand that not everything will always be how I want it.
I wanted to treat my friends with kindness and support.  I wanted to be someone they could ALWAYS come to without fear of emotional repercussions.

Someday when I have children I want my daughter to learn from me, my mother, and stories of my aunt how strong women can be.  I want her to look at Minnie and appreciate her as entertainment.  I want her to understand that women can be and act any way they choose!  It's about having a good heart and believing in yourself.

I want my students to know this too.  The little ones have an easier time believing it.  When you get to middle school and start becoming teenagers, you start to question and have self doubt.  I want to instill that confidence in them and encourage them to continue to be who they are!  To be kind, to care, to support, to love but not be a door mat.

As an adult I can see why Minnie would behave in some of those ways.  I also know that she didn't ALWAYS act like that too.  AND of course, it's just a CARTOON.  But because I questioned and didn't understand as a child, those thoughts and feelings are still engrained in me today.  I can't say that I'm sad about it either.

I much prefer the friendly, lovable, laughable Mickey who gets in and out of scrapes with a little bit of fun and magic.