Happy Birthday Mickey!

November 18 is Mickey Mouse’s birthday! He made his first public appearance in Steamboat Willie on this date in 1928. Earlier that year Mickey was in a short cartoon called Plane Crazy, but it wasn’t released, so Steamboat Willie is considered the beginning of it all. It was also the first time that Minnie Mouse was seen, so happy birthday to Minnie as well.

I know that Mickey is a character, but he’s still inspirational to me. He was born out of failure, a mistake that Walt Disney made that cost him the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt didn’t give up, and he and Mickey ended up changing the world. I wouldn’t live where I do if it wasn’t for Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Mouse transcends generations, he’s loved by children and their great grandparents. For Mickey, race, nationality, religion, and political lines don’t matter, he is welcoming to all. We could all learn something from Mickey.

This year has been unlike any that we’ve ever experienced before. Coronavirus has impacted everyone in one way or another. In all of this craziness, Mickey and Minnie Mouse have both offered an escape. Whether it’s been watching them pass by in a Character Cavalcade or watching them on Disney+, Mickey has allowed us to enjoy life and forget for a little while.

One of the most famous Walt Disney quotes is “I hope we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.” Happy birthday, Mickey. Thank you for 92 years of joy.