The Sunshine Report   CHECK OUT LAST WEEK's VIDEO Imagination and Perseverance Karen and Jay share thoughts on Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney and the ‘magic of Disney’ while on location at Disneyland in southern California. That cute little mouse! The wonderful, iconic character known and loved by generations of children from all around the world. Along with his friends - Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and all those other fun, engaging Disney characters – all coming to life in cartoons. Such creativity and imagination! And, yet, while the story of Mickey Mouse and Disney definitely is one of ‘imagination,’ it is also a lesson in perseverance, positivity and maintaining an optimistic spirit in the face of adversity. In fact, the story of Mickey Mouse might never have happened at all if it were not for these great attributes. In 1919, following the end of World War I, a young man from Chicago returned home from his post as an ambulance operator and began searching the classifieds for work opportunities. He came across a job in Kansas City as an illustrator and apprentice at a commercial arts studio. After only a year on the job, the company began losing revenue and was forced to lay off the young man. Having always wanted to launch his own company, he remained undeterred, enlisting the help of his brother to launch their own cartoon business. The company saw success early, but hardly enough revenue to keep the lights on and eventually, they declared bankruptcy and closed shop. It was a heartbreaking moment, one that almost convinced him he didn’t have what it took to be successful in the business. Once again though, he chose to remain steadfast, moving to California with only $40 to his name to try his hand in the budding motion picture industry. After a few months of little success and living off inconsistent income, he finally came upon a producer who liked his work and hired him. With his brother in tow, they started their own production company to meet the demands of their new business partner. It would later turn out, on a visit to New York to renegotiate his contract, that the producer not only convinced the majority of the young man’s employees to come work for him directly but had also sold the rights to one of their best-selling characters to a rival studio. It was yet another setback that had him questioning not only his talents as an illustrator, but his acumen as a businessman. Instead of fighting the loss, and now rid of the constraints of his old contract, he decided it was an opportunity once again to start fresh, while also learning a valuable lesson in trust. On the train ride back to California, he drafted idea after idea for new characters, but one stuck out from the rest, and his name was Mickey Mouse. The young man pitched Mickey Mouse to bank after bank, attempting to use the laurels of a character he no longer owned to help finance new, short motion pictures featuring a new unproven one. Over 300 banks said no to Mickey Mouse. Considering a move back to Kansas City, he received a call from one courageous banker who said he enjoyed what he’d seen and was willing to take a risk on this unproven character and this ‘up and coming’ illustrator, Walt Disney. Five years after losing his entire design team to his former business partner, Walt Disney would go on to win two Oscars during what were the beginnings of the now famed Walt Disney Studios. “When you go to bat as many times as I do, you’re bound to get a good average.”, Walt Disney once said. He understood very well that sometimes in life, we don’t get to choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond to it. By choosing to embrace the imperfect, seeing it not through a vindictive lens or feeling as if we’re the victim of someone's misgivings, and instead as a learning experience, we present ourselves with more opportunities on the other side. Little by little, we are still able to make the progress we seek by choosing to respond positively to a negative situation. With all that’s happening in the world today, you’d be excused if you felt like trying to find the silver lining of it all was a futile exercise. That’s the thing though. In a world where much is out of our control, why wouldn’t we take ownership over what we can? Just think, had Walt Disney not done so, the world may have never been able to experience the magic he brought to the world. And millions of kids – young and old – would never have known that cute little guy – Mickey Mouse! Read The Report Comics with Roots in New Hampshire Read More Walt Disney - The Man, the Mouse, the Legend! Read More Positive Profile of the Week: Bob Lawton and Funspot Bob Lawton was the man who brought fun and joy to hundreds of thousands of Granite Staters with his famous Laconia business - Funspot. Founded in 1952 when Bob was 21 years old with a $750 purchase, Funspot would become the world's largest arcade. True to its name, Funspot is a must-visit location for every New Hampshire family with its bumper cars, putt-putt, and of course the wide variety of arcade games. The games themselves are a huge attraction, and amazingly, Funspot is the only known location in the world where the "perfect" game of Pac-man was played during a tournament hosted by Bob. Bob's legacy is not limited to just his arcade. He was a veteran as well as a former State Representative and he also made a huge and lasting impact on our state in a way you would never suspect. Bob Lawton is the man credited with getting our state motto "Live Free or Die" onto New Hampshire's license plates. His heart was always at Funspot where he worked up through his passing last year at the age of 90. Up until his death, he was actively working at the arcade with his iconic red suspenders. He was well known for going up to children and filling their cups up with free game tokens so they could continue to have fun. He had his own favorites with the KISS pinball machine being a game he would routinely gravitate towards. Bob may no longer be with us but his legacy lives on through Funspot for everyone to enjoy. So, if you are up in the Laconia area near the Weirs, please be sure to pay a visit and put it on your list to try your hand at the KISS pinball machine! You’ll be glad you did. Thank you, Bob Lawton! Quotes of the Week “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing- that it was all started by a mouse.” – Walt Disney     Jay Lucas | www.JayLucas.us  Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Jay Lucas | 7 Portwalk Pl, Portsmouth, NH 03801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]