“The Wizard of Oz” is an iconic film, with great music and wonderful messages. Nick loves to sing, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and “We’re off to see the Wizard.”
There have been times in my life when I have embodied the various characters while I am seeking either heart, courage, my brain or even home. Lately I feel that I connect most closely to the wizard. Oh I know that Dorothy tells him that he is not a very nice man. While I do try to be nice to others, I am talking about when I hide myself behind a figurative curtain while I am frantically scrambling to pull all the levers and push all the buttons to keep the show going forward. Sometimes I actually pull it off and no one seems to notice the woman behind that curtain.
The Wizard was desperately attempting to hide who he really was. He had gained the reputation that he could be all things to all people. He was supposed to be able to meet their every wish. Because he knew that he couldn’t give them what they sought, he kept himself apart from the others and he just wanted them to leave.
Some sources have said that the Wizard of Oz was a con-man but I have a different perspective. All of us try to present our selves in the best possible light. Sometimes our outward projection of our inward capabilities is not accurate. I believe that most of us are just trying to keep it all together, the best that we can.
Just remember that when you see someone projecting a “larger than life” image of themselves, they might really be hiding behind the curtain, frantically pulling on the levers to keep the show going. It is sort of like watching a duck on a pond. The image you see is a duck serenely gliding across the water while below the surface their little legs are madly paddling to keep moving forward.
Let’s all decide to have more compassion for each other, we just might be able to change the world from black and white to color.
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