Hughes: Vacation '58

The best laid plans of [Mickey Mouse] and men often go awry.

...Or in this story they really do.
(Sorry, I couldn't make myself pass that one up.)

I actually found myself a little stressed following this messed up family vacation (probably because I sympathize with the woes of long-distance car travel). But it was a quick read due mostly to the fact that I was interested what absurd thing would happen next. 

And Hughes' story did not disappoint. The dog died. The Aunt died. The car drove of a small cliff. Indians ransacked them. The dad robbed the hotel, followed by a car chase. Missiles? Disneyland was closed. All ending in a wounded Walt and some good old irony on the plane.

These outlandish situations serve to create a very humorous turn of events. There are definitely layers of exaggeration, understatement and, of course, the irony of the plane ride home that also contribute to the humor of the story. Granted, it is story that truly requires you to suspend disbelief at times. For example, the Dad's behavior is, on the whole, unsound. As well, I feel that, in reality, some of the events would only be funny in retrospect, or as a third person observer.

The whole things was a little ridiculous at times, but there were definitely moments of the story that had me laughing. This sentence, for example: "Dad told me that Aunt Edythe could hear an ant fart, but set an H-bomb off in her drawers and she wouldn't hear a thing" is one that actually got me. I guess that's funny to me because my grandmother is the same way. Plus the thought of an ant fart is just inherently humorous to me. I mean, just think about it.

I guess my last thought on this for now is that the opening sentence is actually much funnier after reading the whole story. "If Dad hadn't shot Walt Disney in the leg, it would have been our best vacation ever." I'll just let you sort that one out.