'it's time we're aware'

have always loved rainbows.  Bright, effervescent colors leaning trustingly upon eachother in a complimentary camaraderie while arcing over our heads as if they feel the earth beneath is in need of a great big hug and a lot of love. And mostly, it really is.  Not surprisingly, Mr. Disney knew this and beginning in 1964 at the New York World's Fair, 'it's a small world' became the perfect place to go if you planned on chasing rainbows. While gilded on the outside in gold, white and kinetic energy when it was moved to Disneyland in 1966,  'it's a small world' is the quintessential celebration of the rainbow as a symbol of unity on the inside; the marriage of visual and aural feel-good sensations, resonating with - as Richard Sherman has emphasized so many times before - "a prayer for peace".

  As if to further the celebration, Imagineers incorporated a trailing rainbow lighting effect against the 'it's a small world' facade that appears as the Disneyland Railroad train passes through it, beginning in 2009.  This effect is lovely and, believe it or not, has become one of my favorite things about 'it's a small world'.  Sadly, it only works about half of the time. After a recent long and lonely hiatus, Eric and I were pleased to find it back in action during last weekend's Disneyland trip to wish Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room a "Happy 50th Birthday!".  It wasn't until this past Wednesday that I realized the return of the rainbow facade effect was the perfect precursor to another cause the rainbow is prominently and suitably used as a symbol for: Equal Rights.

  'it's a small world' teaches us that there is just one moon and one golden sun and that we can only get somewhere if we work together.  The fight for same-sex marriage has been a long one, but one more state has picked up on that message and now has a milestone to celebrate.  As residents of California, we are proud to show our support to the people that have been strong enough to stand up for themselves and their right to be whomever they want to be, and we are also proud to have been part of it. In the way that 'it's a small world' so innocently depicts, it is only under the beauty of a rainbow that we can truly find a world of hope, peace, unity and - most importantly- love.  But now, instead of the marriage of visual and aural, it will be marriage in the name of love - for everyone.  What better place to celebrate that kind of victory than in the land of Mr. Disney's Disneyland. Rainbows, I just love them.

A heartfelt congratulations, California!