In 1995 the gift of Powerline, the fictional pop star in A Goofy Movie, was bestowed upon us. Performed by Tevin Campbell, Powerline is the hottest act in this cartoon world, and his big concert becomes a center point in the film. When our protagonist, Max, son of Goofy, is forced to go on a father-son road trip and has to cancel his much sought after date with the lovely Roxanne (he won her over by pretending to be Powerline), he lies and tells her his good ol’ dad knows Powerline and he is heading to the concert, the only “good” reason he can come up with to cancel on her.
Think back to when you were a kid and wanted nothing more than to discover you had secret magical powers. You weren’t always about which credit cards get you the most points, Pyrex dishware, or 401ks. You had moments of imagination and wonder. Adventures in your own backyard. We never gave a second thought to pretending we were an elven maiden on a quest to find a treasure hidden in an underwater cave guarded by a giant squid.
There are stories we read as children that stick to our bones and help us learn tough lessons that are easier to digest when told through a toy rabbit or a silly old bear. We bury them deep inside of our hearts and often they are forgotten, their origins a distant memory.
We know the lessons, but we tend to forget the friends that taught them to us. They are some of the most reliable things on earth; always true, always constant. A touchstone we can place in our palm to remind us what we’ve always known.