The first time I saw The Wizard of Oz, I fell in love with the movie. I followed Dorthy on her quest to get to the Wizard and I too was scared of the forest. I wanted the Wizard to be real just like Dorthy and her followers. But when Toto pulled back the curtain the Wizard was demystified. He was a man. This same demystification is part of life. We go into something expecting a certain outcome or result and leave disappointed, changed or even scarred by the experience. Our innocence has been eroded. The most common idea we try to strip kids of is Santa Claus. We tell kids that when they reach a certain age they should cease to believe. The same thing follows with the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the like. What we are trying to do is provide clarity, to be honest about the world, to set kids up to believe even when their really has no evidence. What happens is we create generations of kids who lose hope and the ability to appreciate the wonder in mysteries. We don't trust and we don't believe.
This week, I want you to think about a time when the curtain was pulled back for you. When did you experience a moment where what you believed to be true turned out to be different? How were you changed? How did it happen? What has been the result? What experience have you gained from this?
NOTE: This opens up a space for us to say what we want. Some people may speak about politics, religion, education, home. Please be respectful of others. These are your thoughts and I am asking that you keep in mind the thoughts of others. BE RESPECTFUL or I will delete your response and no credit will be given.
