Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Many people know that Walt Disney made Mickey Mouse and other successful characters. Many don’t know that he also had many failures in his life. In his younger years, he lost a job after his boss told him he didn’t have any creativity. But Disney did not give up.
He had a dream, and he wanted to see it come true, so he hung in there. At one point, Disney raised money to start a company called “Laugh-O-Gram.” But when the business failed, he lost everything. He was so poor he could hardly pay his rent and had to eat dog food.
He even faced failure with Mickey Mouse. He was told that Mickey would scare women. But he believed in his idea. He fought tooth and nail for his dreams.
In fact, Disney spent 16 years flying back and forth to England for one movie. After many flights and many meetings, his effort paid off. The author of Mary Poppins agreed to turn her story into a movie. In many parts of the world, Mary Poppins is now a classic and well-known tale.
But, there are two sides to every coin, and Walt Disney also had a dark side. Many people say that Disney was racist and sexist. He also paid his workers very little. He did give his maid millions of dollars, but some of his artists made only $12 a week.
To be fair, Disney lived in an age when these things were common. Those who support Disney say that he was not a bad person. He was just a product of his time. Walt Disney was a complex man with a dark side. He also brought the world to magical places in his stories. He taught us to wish on stars, believe in our dreams, and never give up.
give up 1) quit 2) accept defeat
hang in there to be persistent; to not give up
raise money collect money
fight tooth and nail
to make a strong and intense effort
pay off succeed; give good results
there are two sides to every coin
there are two sides to every story
a product of one’s time
to be greatly influenced by the culture of the time
