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There's No Place Like Home

                I can remember the first time I saw the Wiz.  To say that I was absolutely enthralled would be an understatement.  I was captivated by the music, the dancing, and the costumes.  The level of creativity that went into the production serves to further prove my theory that we sho’ can make something out of nothing!  I watched the movie with my family once again recently.  This time I was not looking through the eyes of an eager and easily impressed 9-year old.  This time I watched through the eyes of a woman easing, rather uneasily, down her own yellow brick road.  Isn’t it funny how when you take steps to increase your level of consciousness, you can find messages and confirmation in any and everything?  As you turn on your radio or converse with a stranger, something is always said or done to confirm where you are on the path of your journey.

                I saw myself in the timid Dorothy, afraid to step out into the world, very much secure within the limits she’d set for herself.  Paralyzed by the fear she had for the unknown, she was slowly letting her life slip away until that fateful day that she and Toto were whisked to the make-believe world of Oz.  And as I watched the old Michael Jackson playing the Scarecrow I realized that I too, have allowed some “crows” to convince me that “I couldn’t win.”  What a shock it was for him to find that the only thing that stood between him and his hearts’ desire was plain old negativity.  Nipsey Russell as the spunky Tin Man gave me food for thought as he begged for lubrication for his mind.  Now, who among us couldn’t use a little oil to get those wheels turning in our heads?  I think I was most affected by the Lion because ultimately what is lacking in most of our efforts is the courage to first initiate them.  We spend an inordinate amount of time dreaming of solutions to our problems but we give others power over our destiny by allowing them to determine whether we can succeed or not. 

                This “home” that Dorothy sought was with her all along.  Home is where we find our comfort and our refuge.  It is a safe place where we can hide from the world, re-examine and re-evaluate our lives.  Watching this movie again gave me a new focus and a new perspective for where I am on this yellow brick road.  Some of us have been searching for the Wiz for our entire lives.  But in the movie, the Wiz was no more than a mortal man without power or control over anything.  Seeking outside sources to solve our dilemmas almost always fails.  The key for me was in realizing that my “home” is where I had to go to seek resolution.  Home being the source and the source being the Creator.  You see if the creator dwells within your home, you won’t succumb to the fear and anxiety.  If your home is in tact, the crows cannot nest there and plant negativity.  Your heart is pure and your courage is compounded by the fact that the Creator promises to keep his promise to you if you just believe.  Everything you need, you already have.

Ya feel me???

                                                                                  by Bridgette Hogan
                                                                                       Ya feel me?  
      Email her if you would like to respond to this subject at: soulflower@blacksonville.com

Bridgette is a contributing writer of Blacksonville.com