Embracing my Inner Tinker

Like Tinkerbell, it took me a minute to appreciate my inner Tinker. 

Tinkerbell was my favorite movie growing up. I loved everything about it, especially how each fairy had a unique talent. When my sister and I would play fairies, as a set of sisters do, I could never decide if I wanted to be Silvermist or Fawn. I’d even settle for Vidia, the evil fast-flying fairy, before I chose Tinkerbell. The only relatable thing about her at the time was that she was blonde. 

I recently re-watched the first Tinkerbell movie and had an eye-opening realization. Before I get to that, let me give a brief synopsis of the movie. Tinkerbell was born just like any other fairy after a baby laughs for the first time, adorable, I know. She floats into Pixie Hollow, where she meets the rest of the fairies and finds her talent. It is a sorting-hat type of situation where the talent chooses her by glowing when she touches it. She’s chosen to be a Tinker. They essentially build everything for the other fairies. They cannot talk to animals, harness sunlight, or control water. Since their work is done solely at Pixie Hollow, they are not allowed to go to the Mainland.

The whole movie is based around the different types of fairies getting ready for the first day of Spring. Each fairy works in their own way to help, like Rosetta who gets the Tulip bulbs ready, or Fawn who encourages the baby birds to fly. Suddenly, disaster strikes, and all of their preparation gets ruined. The blame is put on Tinkerbell, and she feels immense pressure to fix it. Using her Tinkering abilities, Tinkerbell invents creative contraptions to speed up the preparations. In the end, Spring arrives on time and she gets to go to the Mainland, all thanks to her curious mind.

I never wanted to be a Tinker. This was a consistent opinion throughout my life, and it wasn’t until recently that I realized the specialness of being someone like Tinkerbell. In the movies, most Tinkers are characterized as clumsy and awkward. I’m clumsy and awkward, but so many other elements make a Tinker who they are. 

Not to get too intellectual about a Disney movie, but… 

Tinkers help others when they need them most. Even though they may not be in the spotlight like the other fairies, they still serve a significant purpose in their community. Without them, the nature fairies would not be able to work as seamlessly as they do. Tinkerbell is driven, hard-headed, and determined to accomplish whatever she puts her mind to. She thinks outside of the box by using unconventional methods. Her life is not glamorous in any way, but she finds ways to romanticize it in every way she can. 

Being someone like Tinkerbell is a lot of pressure. They are the support system that holds everything and everyone up. They are the person in the corner that you can go to for help. They are curious, and they have a genuine desire to make a bad situation good. There are not many people like that in the world. Having that sort of talent should be celebrated. I did not realize that when I was growing up. I guess I was too distracted by the idea of tracing water droplets or leading a trail of lightning bugs. 

I’m now more appreciative of my inner Tinker. I can admire the talents of others without discounting my own, which took me a long time to accept. I think Tinkerbell is a great example of growing out of insecurity and embracing whatever it is that makes you special. This is something I'll continue to work on as I grow up, but it was nice to find a reminder in something so familiar like this movie. 

Are there any lessons you learned from your favorite childhood movies that you still live by today?