Seeing life on Film on ‘ the yellow brick road’

Hey Family,

I hope you’re having a great start to your summer season. I’ve been in the process of developing a system around rest and restoration since the spring semester ended. Life can get so busy that we put joy on the back burner. Although it is challenging to prioritize joy, it’s necessary! On my journey, I found out ‘The Wiz’ was rereleased the week of May 18 and would be in theaters for a few days. Seeing this classic on the big screen was a must, so in a days notice I got swift and secured my ticket for the final day of the rerelease. If you haven’t seen the film yet I recommend checking it out.

This message is inspired by the film, so there will be a few spoilers. Just a heads up…

A Brain. A Heart. Some Courage. Home.

The nouns listed above were the things that led Dorothy, the main character, and her newfound crew (i.e. tin man, scare crow, and lion) on a journey to find “The Wiz”. ‘The Wiz’, or wizard, is said to be this all-powerful ruling figure in the film who is also said to be the final determinant on most decisions made in the land of Oz. Throughout the course of the film, you'll see Dorothy carries the hope that 'The Wiz’ will help she and her crew to find what they’re searching for. There were a lot of parallels that I drew between my life and the lives of those acted out on screen. Here are some of the parallels and messages I noticed, and hope you will carry with you on your journey…

The Scare Crow – Shopping for “A Brain”

“You’re just a product of some negative thinking” – Dorothy to the Scare Crow (1978)

Have you ever found yourself discouraged? Feeling inadequate? Feeling unintelligent? Were these feelings influenced by your environment? Sometimes yes, and I definitely have found myself feeing the things listed above. The Scare Crow was in a toxic environment when he and Dorothy first met. He was surrounded by “Crows” telling him what he could and could not do, or rather what he was and was not allowed to do. They told him he was basically stuck where he was. He was told he was unintelligent and was discouraged from dreaming about, or hoping for, a day where he’d be able to have ‘A Brain’. My mom has always told me “be careful of the company you keep… even the bible says bad company corrupts good morals.” Although the Scare Crow found himself in a state of low self-esteem, and not faced with his morals being influenced negatively, I’d say my mom’s words reigned true for him too. He didn’t know he had the choice to remove himself from the toxic environment.

You have a choice too fam.

You don’t have to stay closely connected to toxic environments and people. If your environment, or those in it, are constantly telling you what you “can’t do” I encourage you to find a place, space, and a people that will affirm you in the pursuit of your goals. Know that you can do anything that you put your mind to – you already have the brain you need to get it done.

The Tin Man

“Oil, Oil, I need some oil… and if tears should fall from my eyes just think of all of the wounds they could mend” – The Tin Man (1978)

Our rusty brother “The Tin Man” was found in an abandoned park. He found himself crushed under the weight of a woman, who he shared was his fourth wife, that didn’t care to see his value. He believed he was missing a heart, so what he wanted most was a heart. He also expressed that he had a desire to “feel”. He believed if he had a heart, he would have the ability to both be a better practitioner of love, care, and he'd be able to feel deeply. We too can find ourselves crushed emotionally, energetically, spiritually, and mentally when we aren’t aware of what is happening in our heart space – or if we simply believe we have an emotional deficit. Life, trauma, and everyday challenges can make us cold, empty, and numb. Its hard to be vulnerable when you’re hurting. Its hard to know the truth of the situation you find yourself in when you’ve stopped your heart, soul, and body from communicating with you. You can feel though; and although “big” feelings can be tough to tackle, I encourage you to remember its still a gift to be able to "feel".

The lion

“I’m a mean ‘ol lion,” said the Lion (1978)

Chile – SPOILER ALERT: The lion was a whole coward. While Dorothy, The Scare Crow, and the Tin man were “easing down the road” they noticed a lion statue whose eyes moved. Yes, this was extremely creepy; but as they assumed, there was a living being inside of the statue. The lion busted out of the statue with the intention of scaring Dorothy and the other crew members. Now Ain’t that something! The main character in need of courage found himself seeking to scare and intimidate the others in order to distract from the fact that he was a “scaredy cat”. If you’ve found yourself in this space, place or position give yourself grace. At the lion’s core he was a wounded cat who was given responsibilities without training on how to manage them (i.e. being a kind ‘King of the Jungle’). I believed an absence of courage and a heightened level of fear and trepidation can be a learned behavior; and this can be attributed to someone’s upbringing or what they witnessed growing up. If you can’t relate, that’s okay – I still encourage grace to be extended. Courage can be a tough thing to obtain especially if you’ve dealt with shame from family or peers about the fear you harbor within. Courage can grow. Courage is a skill that you can build, brick by brick, by taking steps towards your goals and overcoming your fears in the process.

And our Sweet girl, our Sistah friend Dorothy.

“…I want to go home.” – Dorothy (1978)

Our girl simply wanted to go home and communicated her desire to return home multiple times throughout the film. She wanted to get back to her block, her family, to familiar, to security, to what she knew – Only after being swept away by a tornado which landed her in the land of Oz. Fortunately, Dorothy’s drawn-out quest to find the Wizard of Oz brought her closer to the “home” she was furthest from – herself. Isn't that something though? That we don't always see the value of places, spaces, and people until they're no longer accessible to us. May we find a way to be grateful for the familiar things in our lives, always.

“Believe in yourself as I believe in you,” said the Glinda the Good witch

When reflecting on my life, I could see myself in each character in one way or another. What I was able to see in the theater that I hadn’t noticed the 100 plus times I’d seen the film at home was sometimes an extensive journey is necessary for us to discover what we’re searching for has always been within.

Remember everything you need to be who you’re meant to be, and to do what you’re meant to do in the world, is within you or within reach. Home is not solely a location, because home is an experience you can curate within yourself.  Embrace being kind to yourself and others even when you’re afraid, feeling insecure or inadequate. Embrace the richness of a paradigm and/or an environment shift – if you need it, do it. Embrace the sound of your voice, the words your heart releases, and the signals your body gives you to tell you where you should go and when, or whether, it’s time to stay.

May this encouragement land softly, gently, and above all lovingly.

I love you. Jesus loves you most.

Be well, Be loved, Be encouraged, and Be Brave

With love,

Miss A’Leeyah Ponder

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Citation:

Sidney Lumet et al.. 1978. The Wiz. Universal Home Video.