America and the world celebrate Walt Disney’s 100th birthday this year. With that, the M.O.O.S.E. reflects on his life. Disney was maniacal, controlling, obsessive and vexed for his entire life. And for that, the world forever will be indebted to him.

Good old uncle Walt was not a bitter, angry man, but a determined and courageous man. But the empire that is Disney took determination and sacrifice. It took more than Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs, and it took more than Mickey Mouse and Pluto.

Disney believed in bringing clean, pure laughter and joy to America. In order to accomplish that, he worked harder and longer than anyone else. He came to fame along with his Mickey Mouse character during the Depression.

Disney quickly realized that he wanted to provide wholesome entertainment to America. The cost of this quest was his own virtue and happiness. Henry Ford and John Rockefeller had nothing on Walt Disney. Just because Disney was involved in cartoons doesn’t mean that he took it lightly. He took his work seriously from the beginning. When he left home and started his own animation studio in Kansas City, Mo., he created Oswald The Rabbit. That first cartoon was stolen from him.

This first road block in Disney’s business ignited his obsession with control. Never again would anything be taken away from Disney. He would not be stopped or swayed in his decisions.

He was one of the first to add musical backgrounds to his cartoons.

When Technicolor televisions hit the nation, Disney was quick to jump on top of the craze.

His cartoon ambitions led him to motion picture films like “Pinnochio” and “Fantasia.” Disney currently holds the record for most Academy Award nominations, with 64.

Being a happy-go-lucky businessman does not put those kind of numbers up. The awards, along with future risks Disney would take, required a reckless and visionary attitude. Life for Disney was hectic and progressive. His conservative cartoons brought happiness and joy to America, but Disney didn’t sit back on his laurels.

He dreamt up a place for children to share in the cartoon magic that was on the screen. His next endeavor was Disneyland – a dream, a business strategy. Failure of this dream could have put Disney out of business.

The building of Disneyland was astronomical for the 1950s. The park was roughly priced off at $17 million to build. If only Cinderella could have asked her fairy godmother for that kind of scratch.

In 1955, the ribbon was cut and children took off for the land that Disney dreamed, designed and dictated. The theme park was a complete success and Disney nodded as though he knew it all along.

Disney was taken by cancer when he was 64. He left behind his design for what would become the Epcot Center. Disney took his fantasies and dreams and put a hammer behind them to make them real. Now, Disney controls several television stations, operates Disney World and has a stronghold on animated cartoons with over $1 billion in financial revenue.

When Disney was older, he was asked what he was proud of. His responses were re-printed at www.timelife.com.

“The whole damn thing,” he said, “the fact that I was able to build an organization and hold it.” These were the wise words from Uncle Walt. You can go to Disney World and see a statue of him holding Mickey Mouse’s hand. He sacrificed his own smile and happiness and offered it to all of us. And for that we can only be grateful.