Fascination Explanation -- Part II

I have always been fascinated by American history, especially the time period in which Walt and my grandfather grew up. These Americans grew up in a time that saw the first automobiles, the first plane take flight, two world wars and the Vietnam War, the Great Depression, and the true impact of the Industrial Revolution. Due to living in a free democracy, American citizens were able to follow their dreams and create whatever their minds could create. (Fun Fact: I have read that the majority of patents issued in the United States were for this time period.)

The first half of the nineteenth century was an enlightened period: a golden age… a time when idealism was still thought achievable. [Walt died in December 1966, but he saw the start of the demise of idealism when Kennedy was shot in 63’.] Walt’s story is one where a person who never finished high school could get on a train, go to Hollywood with $20 in his pocket, start a business from scratch, and watch it grow into [arguably] the most recognized franchise in the world -- with perhaps the one exception being McDonalds (whose story is almost as interesting, but that’s for another day…).

When you think of the great minds and personalities of the 1900’s -- the Wright brothers, Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Dwight Eisenhower, etc. -- the case can be made that the things they are remembered for were things for their time, and that we have moved beyond them. Walt is different. Walt’s ideas and dreams are still growing and being exposed to each new generation as a rite of passage.

more to come...