Thought of the day

When L Frank Baum wrote the very rich fantasy, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, I’m reasonably sure that he no idea it would become a cult film classic; nor did he realize how it would be reviewed and looked at as a profound piece of literature. We all remember the story. An unhappy Dorothy gets caught in the storm and transported to a beautiful magical place. There she meets and has wonderful adventures with the Scarecrow (no brain), the Tin Woodsman (no heart) and the Cowardly Lion (no courage). Enter in a Wizard and a couple of Witches (one good and one very bad – and green) and the story is only beginning!

The profound statement by this book (and movie) though is when in the end we get to see, those that thought they did not have something truly did. We saw that the Scarecrow was the thinker of the group; the Tin Woodsman clearly had all the feelings because he was crying every time he turned around, and the Lion, my goodness … he would jump into fire for Dorothy. And Dorothy, the most profound of all. All she wanted was to go home. And the lines in the end of the movie drives that home: the Tin Woodsman says; “What have you learned, Dorothy?”, and Dorothy replies, “Well, I - I think that it - it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em - and it's that - if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?”

That’s right Dorothy. Everything we ever need is right here for us NOW. All we have to do is understand that, ask for it and then reach out and grab it. It’s not always going to be a house falling on some Witch, but it might be. So keep your brain engaged, your heart open, and walk with courage… and don’t forget to wear your ruby slippers!