Landing in Oz

Tin Man

“Sometimes late when things are real

And people share the gift of gab among themselves

Some are quick to take the bait

And catch the perfect prize among the shelves

But Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man

That he didn't, didn't already have

And Cause never was the reason for the evening

Or the Tropic of Sir Galahad...”

Tin Man by America (written by Dewey Bunnell)

This song has been playing in my head for a couple of days, and as you know if you've been reading this blog for a while, I pay attention to things like that. The band, America, was one of my favorites back in the 1970's, but I think the line, “Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man, that he didn't, didn't already have...” is the one that's stirring. You may remember the movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” and the fact that after all their struggles and set-backs, Dorothy, Toto, Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow finally make it to the Emerald City of Oz. They want the Great Oz to give them what they feel they are lacking—courage, heart, smarts, and safe passage back to Kansas. They discover that Oz doesn't have the power, but they do. Their journey has already required of them all the things they thought were missing.

This 1939 Judy Garland movie is still watched today because the story is everyone's story. We all feel we are lacking something—some vital element that if only we had it, would make all the difference. The truth is, most of us have everything we need, we just can't seem to dig it out of the insecurity we've wrapped around us like a shawl. When we need courage, it's there—just look at the stalwart humans hanging on to some semblance of life in Nepal and Syria right now, the millions squatting in refugee camps, or somehow surviving on overloaded boats on the oceans of this planet. Look at the folks in our own mid-west, scraping a few worldly goods out of the tangled mess tornadoes left of their homes. All these people desperately our need help, but in the meantime, they're strong, adaptable, resilient and inventive.

Oz can't give us much of anything, but we can help one another, and we can open our eyes to the courage, heart and smarts we already have.

                                                          In the Spirit,

                                                               Jane