Archive Home Page Someone at my local sunday coffee shop hangout yesterday silently put me back in touch with that most excellent metaphorical story of the conflicts of inner space and outer space, the Wizard of Oz.
For is not Dorothy, in heroine form, once again Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces", who thru rejection and tragedy ascends (descends) to the fantastical land of Oz, and along the way releases the God like wizard stranded there, defeats the wicked witches, frees the peoples of Oz held under the tyranny of these forces, and along the way helps the Scarecrow find intelligence, helps the Lion find courage, and most importantly, helps the Tinman find a heart?
What a fantastic story known to almost every child of my own generation. And this story resonates deeply within my own community for there was a time when "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was the closest thing to a Gay anthem, and the plight of Dorothy mirrored our rejection by society and our desire to once again be allowed to be a part of our families, to return home.
It was no coincidence that the birth of Gay liberation the Stonewall Riots occured on the very same night that the actress who played Dorothy died. The dream had no other place to go. The dream came alive. It was a destiny, both terrible and wonderful, called into life.
And so now this discussion, it seems to me, as much as anything is about the start of the Yellow Brick Road. And that is a wonderful thing, but that is not the only thing. Metaphorically Aunty Em may still be a little perplexed that it was "the friends of Dorothy" who first travelled the Yellow Brick Road, but in time I'm sure she'll understand. Right now I'm not thinking about the Yellow Brick Road.
Right now all I can think about are those Ruby Slippers.