Don’t forget to wave as the princesses go by...

Even if it’s just a small parade with a couple trusted friends. Skipping down Main Street USA arm in arm with your best friends is a perfect parade.

At one point or another we have all missed out on a Disney event we wanted to go to. Maybe it was a 24 hour experience or a D23 Expo. Instead of being there, we had to hold our own pity party and miss the fun. A wise friend reminded me that if we sit and miss something we are not present in the things around us. (thanks Tim!)

Tim Wong at D23 Expo to kick off his year of Disney!

What does that mean? We’re missing the very thing that could fill us: Maybe there is a sale at your local Disney store or Tangled is on TV. We can get our Disney fill anyplace.

For me it means I choose to skip D23 Expo this weekend to spend the time with my family.

We don’t have to be just sitting on the sidelines, watching. Someone has to wave as the parade goes by. It may as well be a big Disney fan like you.

Not everyone will contribute to every “parade.” Those who are in the “parade” at this weekends Expo will fill us in with eye witness accounts via Facebook and twitter.

Life is full of parades, and few, if any, can participate in every parade.

If we are sitting on the sofa living through the lucky ones who are there, we are missing out on our own life. We are the leading Mouseketeers in our story.

Being active in the things that are happening in your neighborhood, community, or social groups helps us bond with other people, and make friends. There are millions of us who will live vicariously through the friends who get to go. Get together with them and watch Disney movies or pick out a new outfit for your next trip “Home.”

When you get that sick feeling of watching the Magical Express pull into your resort to drive you back to MCO after a magical visit “Home” What sorts of things do you do to get that Disney feeling? Do those things now.

Think about all the groups you are involved in, and how much you participate in them. Take the lead in planning an outing or a get-together. I plan on going over my upcoming ADR’s and making Mousekeeping envelopes, and dropping in on Facebook just to see what I am missing and cheer on my teammates.

Life is full of parades. The choices, once you start thinking about it, are staggering. Some parades only have two or three people. Just figure out in advance who is the Grand Marshal, and who’s on cleanup duty.

What this quote means to me is that being active, taking part in the activities around us, is an important part of life. Even if you are the Pooper- scooper this time.

Something as wonderful as walking through a park can be made more magical if you pull people into your parade. Our last trip to Disneyland someone Photobombed us. His enormous smile was contagious and we told this complete stranger to  get into our picture. Ta da! A group of strangers participating in life. Now I don’t suggest that you spend your day in the Magic Kingdom photobombing  people but it is like being on a boat and waving to other boat riders in acknowledgement.  A nod of the head to your fellow Mouseketeer might just make you both smile.

It may feel like life is passing you by. Just like every parade ends, and the watchers go home, you go home, once again having not participated. But at the end of this weekend, you can snicker at the fact that you must have saved a lot of money not being at the Expo because you would have wanted that second set of matching D23 t-shirts just in case yours faded, and your feet don’t have blisters from waiting in lines.

Don’t let other people’s joy be a curmudgeon. Cheer them on, then go make some magical memories.

I believe that life is meant to be lived, not observed. Get out there and spread some Pixie Dust, and join a parade! If you need directions on how to wave like royalty, I would be happy to teach you.