I will die any day now, the faces of the doctors and my family says it all. My life has been short but fruitful. I have changed the world of animation and the opened the minds of many to new ideas.  I filled the hearts of both children and adults with joy. I have created many movies and won many awards, but here I am, at sixty-five, on my death bed. I have reached the end of my journey, a journey filled with hardships and success.
I became more then what anyone would expect of me. Well, who would have guessed an unknown teenager from Illinois would have become one of the most influential people in the media. I remember well when it began; it was not easy start though.
* * *
“We are bankrupt,” I announced to my company regretfully. We all knew this day was coming.  After the bankruptcy of Pictorial Clubs, most of my staff had left. We had been taking baths once a week at the Union Station and I lived in my office, so it was expected. 
My staff looked up at me with sorrow on their faces.
Ubbe spoke up with a heavy heart, “I’m going to miss this studio.”
A murmur of agreement followed and then sound of shuffling as everyone packed their belongings.
“I’m going to miss you Walt, you are a great man. I hope you achieve your dreams.” Hugh Harman left the studio first, followed by Rudolf.
I watched them leave. I had no money, no studio, and only some rough templates of an Alice in Wonderland animation. I had absolutely nothing, but I’m not done yet; I will not give up.
I decided to call my brother; pulling nervously on the cord of the old rotary phone, I broke the news to my older brother.
“Roy…I’m bankrupt. My company ran out of money.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding in.
Silence, then a voice spoke slowly-
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “Right now I’m going to save up money”
I’m lost, but I won’t give up hope. I’ll just-
“I have $250 dollars saved up”
“Okay… why are you telling me this?”
“We could start another company.”
* * *
I bought a train ticket to Hollywood, and with twenty dollars in my pocket, we started another company called The Disney Bros. I shifted in my hospital bed and stared out the hospital window out in the distance I saw a familiar round eared character- Mickey Mouse.
* * *
“I have been thinking, Mr. Disney,” Charles Mintz of Universal Studios spoke, “That you should take a 20% pay cut.”
“Why should I take a pay cut? Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is my character! I created him. I came here to ask you for a raise and this is what you come up with!” I argued, clearly upset.
“Times are tough Mr. Disney, and we own Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, he is no longer your character.” Charles Mintz twirled pen in his right hand a smirk of delight briefly crossed his face before his regained his demeanor. 
“What do you mean?” I asked, bewildered.
“Do you not remember?” Charles Mintz whipped out a stack of sheet and pointed to a paragraph. “You gave us full rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, he is no longer yours.”
I engulfed this new piece of information and got up from my seat.
“I quit.”
I stormed out of the room and climbed on to a train with my wife.
“How did it go?” She asked, though I’m sure she knew that it did not go well.
“I lost Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.”
I’m going to create a new character, one much better and that I will have full rights to. No one else will own him, and he will surpass Oswald. He’s going to amazing- huge! Every child is going to love him. I started drawing on a napkin whatever came to my mind.
My wife sat quietly watching me scribble. She knew I did not want to be interrupted.
A mouse? Yes! A mouse would be perfect. I stared at my napkin.
“Mortimer!”
“What?” My wife raised an eyebrow, clearly wondering what I was up to.
“Mortimer Mouse!” I held up my rough draft of a mouse, “He is going to become bigger than Oswald!”
“Mortimer sounds too pompous. Why don’t you name him Mickey instead?” My wife suggested.
“Mickey…Mouse.”
* * *
I looked over to the right of the hospital window and saw a blue and yellow dressed, short black haired, pale statue. It was Snow White, one of my favorite princesses, although she also created one of the most stressful moments in my life.
* * *
“Are you crazy?!?” Roy asked, “You’re putting our whole company in jeopardy because of this film!”
I am probably crazy to go through with this, but I know it is worth it. This film will become a success.
“You have put our house on mortgage because of this film Walt; are you sure this is good idea?” My wife asked.
“I know this seems crazy right now! Trust me though; I know that this movie is going to become famous.” I answered.
“One million four hundred eighty-eight thousand four hundred and, twenty-three dollars! Dollars Walt. Dollars! If this movie does not work we are bankrupt and you are homeless!” Roy stressed.
“I know Roy. Trust me, I know.” I replied “but I also know that I am going to make this movie work.” I lit a cigarette and took a drag.
“Now if you excuse me I have a hit film to make.”
* * *
The movie was a success. It grossed over eight million dollars, and The Walt Disney Company became a legend. I created many more films after that, my company just kept expanding and expanding. I won many awards and gained a lot of wealth, but I think what really mattered most was the imagination I brought into many households.
Even if I had the choice, I would not skip the hard times in my life. My life was hard at times, but without those hard times, I would not have grown. I wouldn’t have learned what I know now. I learned through bankruptcy to never give up and sometimes things happen for a reason and that even though times are tough, things do get better, and that there are people who care and believe in you. I learned through Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to always have full rights on my character, and through Snow White that even if no believes in you, you can achieve the impossible. I learned the difference between winning and losing is most often, not giving up.
Here I lay in my death bed knowing that I have lived my life to its fullest. I struggled, I overcame, and I lived. I know I did great, and though there are people who have done better, all that matters is that I was happy and have left my mark on the world. I changed the world for the better and I have added some aspect of joy into both the lives of children and adults alike.