Ruby slippers and more

Dorothy and her ruby slippers, her little dog Toto, and the Wicked Witch of the West have all become icons in our culture.  Very few Americans haven’t seen the classic film, The Wizard of Oz, at some point and it continues to delight viewers of all ages after more than seventy-five years.  The film  remains a personal favorite, I thought I’d share my history with it.

Back in the days when I wore plaid dresses and patent leather shoes that buckled across my feet, the annual showing of The Wizard of Oz was a major event for me.  It seems it was usually shown in the spring, often around Easter time and I looked forward all year to the night when I could watch Dorothy be swept up into the tornado and carried to the magical Land of Oz.  I may have first viewed the movie at my grandparents’ home because they had color television before we did.  The contrast between the drab sepia tones of the film’s opening scenes and the vivid color were always striking.  I can imagine how much more so it was to movie audiences because it debuted when few films were made in color.

I had a copy of Frank L. Baum’s book as well and over the years managed to read a few more of his Oz stories.  Many people may not be aware that The Wizard of Oz was just one of a series of stories for children Baum penned.  Although most of those titles are long forgotten, the movie version of his classic tale will live forever.

After my children were born, The Wizard of Oz was one of the first movies we bought for them to watch and it remained a favorite for a long time.  My daughter Emily was so taken with the tale that she often insisted on wearing her blue and white gingham checked “Dorothy” dress to school often.  And yes, she managed to find a wicker basket and a stuffed dog, too.  Megan and Patrick both also enjoyed the film.  We haven’t watched it for a long time but when I one day sit down to view it again, I have no doubt I’ll be just as entranced by the story, the music, and the setting as I was when I was a child.

Beyond the entertaining story, there’s a lot more to Dorothy’s journey.  It’s a story about friendship, about courage and endurance, about making goals and reaching them, and most of all, it’s a reminder that there is no place like home.  Whether home is a lonely farm on the Kansas prairie or a house here in Neosho or an apartment in Manhattan or Brooklyn, home is where we bring our hearts and where we take our respite from the world.

In the past I’ve traveled as far and wide as I can go and hope to again in the future. In recent years, due to my late husband’s health, to becoming a widow, to work constraints, the travel has been closer to home. One of these days, though, I will put my traveling shoes back on and head for places like the Holy Land, Ireland (Derry and Dublin and Keady and more), and back to the ocean…..

But, for now, I’m home and I didn’t even need a pair of ruby slippers to get there.