Jan 1st, my first day not being…

It’s January 1st, and it’s good that we are at the beginning of a new year. Looking at things in general, I am hopeful that 2021 will be a much better year than the one that went before it.

Focusing clearly on a specific issue, I am a bit heavy-hearted today because today is the first day then I am no longer a Disney cast member. This has been very hard for me. It has been so hard, in fact, that I haven’t said a word about it on my blog or on social media even though this is a very big deal for me.

I went to work at Disney in March of 1972 for the very, very first Spring Break and summer after opening. I came back for two other summers in my high school and college time; I loved Disney back then and I love Disney today. I have not given up! I’m hoping to rejoin the cast just as soon as I can make it happen.

I suppose I am in a better position to deal with this change than the average cast member because I came and went at Disney six different times! I came back 6 times in a period of 48 years and had seven different roles in the show. I loved every one of them. So having gone through all those changes and endings, I should be able to navigate this successfully and come back one more time.

Why is this so important to me, you may ask? Well I have said this before and I mean it with all my heart: Disney was my very first job — I was only 17 back in 1972 and I wanted it to be my last job.

There will be other chapters to write in this story…

#iLoveDisney

Ben Basile

© 2021 Ben Lawrence Basile

Photo credit Ben Lawrence Basile