Mambo and Me

Have you ever watched a movie and thought to yourself, “Oh my goodness, this is my life!” Have you ever been able to completely relate to the lead character, or experienced a similar dilemma? With some of the movies out there, I would say the chances are slim; but yesterday, I watched such a movie and saw my life on screen.

It was a Sunday afternoon, and I had made myself comfortable on my sister’s couch in order to watch some of my favorite cartoon (Phineas and Ferb), and perhaps take a little nap. As I dozed off toward the point where Dr. Doofenshmirtz unveils his evil plan to Perry the Platypus, something woke me suddenly. It was the opening sequence to a movie. My attention was captivated as my life’s story was slowly unraveled before me.

You see, Mambo grew up in a very closed-minded culture. A culture where each one had the same special gift, (a mark of their species, if you will) to sing. But Mambo could not sing. It was the same with me. I was born into an exclusive culture that taught that certain behaviors, professions, and appearances were acceptable. All other outlaying dots on the radar were outcasts and should be treated as such. I was Mambo.

The similarities between me and Mambo were noticeable from the beginning. First, his parents were studs. Especially his father who stole his mother’s heart with an Elvis impersonation. My parents were studs as well. Mambo was also a bit harrier than his peers; again, I completely relate. He was also a fantastic dancer. So when Mambo began to feel like he didn’t belong in his own culture, he left; only to stumble upon 5 Latinos. Hello, story of my life right here! As Mambo befriends the fiery Latinos, he shows off his dancing skills which eventually save his entire colony.

Ok, so you might be saying a few things at this point; like, “Sam, are you talking about the penguin movie called ‘Happy Feet?’” or “What does dancing have anything to do with you?” And my answer is simply this: dancing is analogous to using your brain and not being afraid to be different from everyone else around you. Mambo had a gift and a talent, even if it was not what others would call “normal” or “acceptable.” In fact, his dancing was seen as “embarrassing” to the narrow-minded-afraid-of-change elders. But Mambo knew better. And Mambo proved that although his methods were unorthodox, he could still do some good for his people.

We can learn a lot from those crazy penguins.