Four of the Most Magical Movies from Your Childhood

Whether it was the enchanting characters, the memorable scenes or simply because it was the first film mum or dad took you to, these are the movies that have lelt the most lasting impressions over the decades.

“I loved it for two reasons. First, it showed a wonderful, loving extended family. I was fascinated by their kitchen setting and the little corner where the boy Charlie slept. Second, inside the chocolate factory was what all children dreamed of. The whole movie transported me from my childhood worries into a fairyland world.” —Margaret McKee

“For a kid who often felt like he didn’t fit in, and wasn’t good at anything, it was magical to see Dumbo discover his talent and become loved and celebrated.” —Lorraine Cormack

“I loved Dumbo as it showed those who are bullied can win if they believe they can.” — Mary Madigan

“It has to be the most magical movie from my era. The story has everything a young kid can ask for: a great story, a mythical flying dog and an interesting ending. Our family continue to watch it today.” —Aaron Elliott

“When I was young, movies were a treat, with lollies, friends and a canvas seat. There was a special one that I did adore, and many times I’ve gone back for more. The songs, the scenery and the storyline always transport me to another time. It is such a classic that my memories of it are so fantastic.” —Joanne Carter

“No more broken plates，you understand?”I could make little sense of the broken English that spat from his mouth.It was a Friday night in Little Tokyo，and while families were eating five-star meals in the front dining room, a 14-year-old boy was in the back washing their dishes.

The shattered plate was only one of the many worries fighting continuously inside my head for attention - there was the Advanced Placement United States history midterm，a low grade in calculus，a little brother getting into trouble and a dozen other smaller but pressing concerns.

It was 12 am when my shift finally ended. I boarded the bus home and took out my notes to study. I got the usual looks from people fresh out of bars or parties because of my smelly clothes after a hard night's work. Their stares didn't bother me at all.I was tired of my dad coming home late at night with burn scars from work.Something had to change and I knew it fell to me to start that change.

Fortunately，I also knew I had commitment，desire and courage in my blood. My grandfather was part of the first wave of Mexican immigrants that settled in Los Angeles.He returned home to a small village in Oaxaca，with his savings and tales of the land of opportunity.

Both of my parents left Oaxaca in their early teenage years and began working long hours in Los Angeles，as a cook and a maid.The work moral rules were passed down generations,from the cornfields in Oaxaca，to the restaurants in Los Angeles，to the classroom，which helped me thrive both in school and work.

On this particular night，as I walked through the front door at home，I saw an uplifting surprise : my family had fallen asleep waiting up for me despite their own long day.Watching them snoring and breathing slowly sparked a yawn，which reminded me of my body's delayed exhaustion.However，it would be a while before I could join them in sleep.I had an essay due early the next morning，and Ms.DePalo wouldn't accept late work.

It's long been understood that there is a connection between memory problems and diabetes(糖尿病), a disorder characterized by excessively high blood sugar.Sugar provides the body with fuel for various processes, including memory processing. In fact, glucose(葡萄糖)carried in the blood stream supplies the brain with 90 percent of the energy it requires to function properly.

In order to fuel those processes, glucose has to get from the blood to the tissues, where it can be broken down and put to work. High blood sugar levels, such as in diabetes, are an indicator that a body is experiencing difficulty moving sugar from the blood to the tissues.

However, some non-diabetics have a less severe form of high blood sugar, a condition called impaired glucose tolerance. And it is this condition that seems to be the cause of memory problems in a significant number of non-diabetic elderly people who experience memory difficulties.

Subjects were given glucose intravenously(静脉注射), and then researchers measured how quickly glucose moved from the blood to the tissues. Next, the subjects were tested for overall cognitive functioning and the ability to recall short paragraphs. It turned out that subjects who scored lowest in memory recall tests also showed impaired glucose tolerance.

In addition, brain scans demonstrated that these same subjects each had a significantly smaller hippocampus, a brain area important to learning and memory. The researchers hypothesize that impaired glucose tolerance may over time cause damage and atrophy (萎缩) to the hippocampus.

What can a body do to prevent this? A healthy diet and exercise can help maintain good glucose tolerance, perhaps preventing gradual memory decline.

Have you ever wondered why the world is full of so many people who are incredibly incompetent at the very thing they are paid to do? If so, an educationalist called Laurence J. Peter may have the answer.

In Peter’s view, most people were promoted based on their current performance, with no real consideration of their ability to take on greater responsibility. Eventually, “every employee tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence”, as he wrote. This is the law he termed the“Peter Principle”.

The strongest evidence for the theory comes from a recent study of 131 companies that all used the same performance management software. As you might expect, the team found that the best salesmen or saleswomen were the ones who tended to be promoted. And the study found that managers who used to be very high-performing sales workers tended not to bring significant assistance to their colleagues.

There are lots of potential reasons why this might occur. The personal drive-even aggression-that is needed to promote your own individual sales doesn’t necessarily transform into the interpersonal skills necessary to motivate others, for instance.

In the meantime, knowledge of the “Peter Principle” might be useful for each of us personally. If you frequently find yourself disappointed with your own boss or with your subordinates (下属), it’s worth considering the possibility that you’ve already reached your “level of incompetence”.

That’s not always easy to recognize. As Peter put it, “competence, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder”, but a modest awareness may just encourage you to correct your weaknesses, or to find a new position where your unique talents are of greater value.