HOW I SPENT TIME WITH PRINCESS ELSA OF THE MOVIE FROZEN by Michael Djordjevich (USA)

Every now and then every one of us gets into something they know nothing about. Hopefully, not in our professional endeavors but, more acceptably, in everyday life.

So, here I am, dear colleagues, in the uncharted territory of spending time with a princess. One, whose beauty is unparalleled and who is perfect in every way. She doesn’t get tired, bored, sick, annoyed, disappointed or overwhelmed. She is kind, gracious, patient and, here I go again, beautiful.

This is the set up: I am at Disneyland celebrating my granddaughter’s fourth birthday. She is in line waiting to meet the princess. Luckily, she has not seen the Frozen movie and really has no concept of any of it. She just likes any princess.

I am thankful to her parents for not introducing her to Disney’s pandering of a politically correct view of the world. This, then, masquerades as emotions and childhood memories which, in turn, leads  to Disney cashing in on it all. In the process, it just happens, they make an obscene amount of money.

To dispense with the real world concerns before we get to the fantasy: I am hopeful that the princess actress makes more than the minimum wage and gets more than a few hours of work. I also hope that she gets benefits, like medical and retirement. (Oh, did I say that she is beautiful, patient and kind.)

Why do I hope for the above? Well, let’s put it simply: what Princess Elsa sells is invaluable and/or priceless or whatever other synonym can be applied to it. She needs to be properly rewarded.

While waiting for my granddaughter’s turn to be in the Princess’ presence, I was, more or less, at the head of the line for forty-five minutes observing other 3-9 year old girls interacting with her.

Some of them were dressed just like her (long blue dresses, hair done up in braids), some in their everyday amusement park clothes or whatever. One thing the girls had in common is that they were mesmerized, seemed to be in a trance. Elsa spoke with each and every one of them finding the perfect words and being infinitely patient. Her voice was calm, melodic and she seemed to have the right words for every one of those girls.

What was fascinating to watch was the emotional melting process of the girls: starting with a bit of apprehension and slowly becoming intimate, belonging. Every encounter ended in the genuine, beautiful, enviable hugs. Again, those hugs were real, heartfelt and giving all one had to give. On both sides.

If only all hugs could be like that all the time.

Human emotion and inquisitiveness are boundless. I observed one little girl, maybe three years old, who was fascinated with the sparklers on Elsa’s dress sleeves. The girl kept touching them, very gently, and walking around the Princess doing it. In the end, she was satisfied. This experience will stay with her and, I hoped, she might grow to be a better person because of it.

At the same time I also hoped, again, that Elsa had those employment benefits.

Did I say she was beautiful? More than any present day real princesses and she seemed much happier.

This Disneyland trip conflicted with the Istanbul IGAL AGM. Turns out I made the right choice. I can see my esteemed IGAL colleagues just about any time but Princess Elsa, through the eyes of a four year old, happens only once in a lifetime.