“You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas”, says Glinda in the last few scenes of the “Wizard of Oz”. The Wizard of Oz, is a 1939, Technicolor movie based on the 1900 novel by Frank L Baum. A beautiful but lengthy tale of a young girl and her dog, Toto who have a gruelling yet enlightening journey in a strange land full of witches, flying monkeys and magical shoes.
Dorothy, the protagonist, had been whisked far away from her home. Her home had been blown away in a prairie storm, and landed in a strange land. While landing her house, had killed the wicked witch of the East. The Munchkins who had thus been freed from the reign of the witch were grateful to Dorothy and gifted her the witch’s magical ruby shoes. Dorothy wanted to find her way back home to Kansas and was told to follow the yellow brick road to find the Great Wizard of Oz who would help her go back home.
As Dorothy and her dog Toto followed the yellow brick road, she meets and became friends with the couple of very interesting and loyal characters. First, a scarecrow who she helped free from the field. The scarecrow said he had no brains and wanted to meet with the great Wizard to ask for some and hence walked with Dorothy. Then Dororthy met the Tin Woodman who was rusting in the forest and desperately wanted to meet the wizard to ask him to grant him a heart since he did not have one. Finally they met with a lion, who although roared at them loudly, confessed that he had no courage and wanted to meet the wizard to ask her to grant him courage.
The unlikely companions had to face the wrath of witches, obstacles and many hurdles on their way. Finally when they reach the Wizard they learn that he was just a Ventriloquist who had lost his way in this hot air balloon but had gained powers over the people of the land and become the great “Wizard of Oz’ by hearsay. After realizing that The great Wizard would not really be able o help them, they seek out Glinda, the good witch of the south, who tells Dorothy that all she needs to do is click her hells in her magical silver shoes and she would be able to go home. As for the Tim Woodman, the lion and the scarecrow, in their arduous journey, they had successfully used and proven that they actually possessed a heart, a brain and plenty of courage.
Such beautiful lessons for the young and old, to be learnt from this magical tale!
Follow your Yellow brick road: No matter what the obstacle were, Dorothy never gave up. Never resigned to “not trying” .The yellow brick road led Dorothy to the Wizard who couldn’t really get her home. Yet she persisted. We must follow our yellow brick road that we believe will lead us to your goals. While the outcome of the journey is unclear and out of our sphere of control, the journey will enrich us. It will bring us if not directly to our goals, definitely closer to achieving our goals.
The qualities you seek to succeed are within you: If you look within yourself you may be able to pull out the strength, courage and intelligence you never knew you had. The Scarecrow wishes for a brain, the Tin Man wants a heart and the Cowardly Lion wants to be brave, but these characters possess these very qualities from the start.
Friends and people you meet on your journey can go a long way: Unexpected connections can enrich your life in ways you don’t anticipate. Although Dorothy is at first taken aback by the scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly lion, she learns in time that they are loyal, loving and caring. Be accepting of new people, even those who seem different from you.