Mary Poppins' Guide for Life

Fashions come and go, but a face like this is always in style.

Walt Disney's 1964 classic "Mary Poppins" deserves some attention.  I loved the film as a kid and now I realize that it is ever better than I had remembered.  I never read the books by P.L. Travers, but apparently the film deviates from the source material quite a lot.  It was a Disney production, after all.   The film, of course,  is a clever, whimsical, and fun children's story and older audiences will  appreciate the quality of singing and Julie Andrews'  unexpected but vibrant sex-appeal, seen in the chemistry between the characters Mary and Bert.  But beneath the memorable songs, dance numbers and mixture of live action and animation, there are many lessons often lost on modern viewers.  And yet it is these lessons that endow the film with a timeless quality.   Although the entire film takes place in Edwardian London, the themes are universal.   I will not pore over every detail of the plot.  If you have not seen it, you should go and watch the film yourself and form your own opinions.  That in mind, here is my list of things I learned from Mary Poppins, in no particular order.

• Police should focus on important matters like finding lost children and should not intimidate entrepreneurs or otherwise non-harmful people. 
• Being successful financially and taking pride in one's work is a good thing, but it should be done in harmony with the needs of one's family.
• Women's suffrage  and equal rights in general is a worthy and noble cause, but the pursuit of which should not come at the expense of being too busy for one's family.
• Always listen and consider all options carefully.
• Be firm, but kind.
• Be tidy and prompt, but don't be afraid to occasionally get your hands dirty or be spontaneous.
• Tolerate others, even eccentric neighbors , although you may well want to have a conversation with them about reducing the charge used in the cannon they fire daily. 
• Don't be too proud to try multiple avenues of employment, including manual labor and selling kites.
• All financial transactions should occur with the consent of both parties. Not respecting your customer's wishes can result in panic, a bad reputation and even a run on the banks.
• Find the fun in your work.
• Use your imagination.
• Laughter is critical to a life of happiness, but practical matters must not be ignored.
• Don't look down on blue (or soot) collar workers; they work hard fixing the things the rest of society depends upon. 
• Dancing is excellent exercise, but be wary of frightening cannon-wielding neighbors.
• Nothing, not even magic, is a substitute for good parenting.