When I'm sitting in my apartment, looking for a movie to watch, I walk over to my bookshelf and browse through my DVD collection. The shelves are filled with movies, but most of them have one thing in common: they're animated films from the Walt Disney Company. Why did I decide to bring almost exclusively Disney movies with me to college? Because they make me feel better. No matter what.
Every time a new Disney film comes out, I'm there. I see it in theaters. I buy it on DVD/Blu-Ray. I download the soundtrack. And I probably buy merchandise I don't need.
My bed is covered with stuffed animals of Pooh Bear, Simba, Baymax and more. I have a "Snow White" poster on my wall next to my "Little Mermaid" lithograph. I dressed up as Meg from "Hercules" this year for Halloween.
So why does Disney still speak to me at 21?
There is, of course, the sense of nostalgia that comes with a Disney movie. These are the movies of our childhood. The first film I remember seeing in theaters was "Tarzan." The Disney movies I watched as a child are comforting to me when I feel like being an adult is a little too much. When I worry about the person I will be once I graduate college, I watch Simba discover his true calling in life or Ariel sacrifice everything for her dreams.
The newer Disney movies seem to have grown up with me. While I feel like my life is an endless cycle of homework and assignments, Tiana is also working her butt off to make herself better and open her own restaurant. While I question my place in the great big world, Judy Hopps is having larger than life adventures as a small bunny in a big city.
There's a lot that we can still learn from Disney.
If you feel conflicted between your family and your boyfriend, watch Pocahontas choose her people over John Smith. If you feel like a loser who does everything wrong, watch Hercules become the person he was always meant to be. If you feel trapped by small-town life, follow Belle's lead and go on an adventure.
You might call me a Disney-phile. You might call me obsessed. You might think I have a case of Peter Pan syndrome (it's a real thing). Either way, my love for all things Disney is not going anywhere.