I think most people would agree ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is a movie that will never grow old. The Wicked Witch of the West continues to terrify children. The Wizard continues to disappoint (after all he is just an old man with tricks up his sleeve, no wizardry to boast of). And Glinda the Good Witch of the North continues to come to the rescue at exactly the right moment. Besides she’s got a magic wand to kill for and her preferred mode of transportation is a giant pink bubble. Yes, please!
Of course, we can’t talk about ‘The Wizard of Oz’ without mentioning Dorothy Gale, who introduces herself to ‘The Wizard’ as small and meek. You know, Dorothy who stands up to her villainous neighbor Miss Gulch who wants Toto destroyed. Or Dorothy who intervenes when the Cowardly Lion has the Tin Woodsman shaking in his tin boots. Or Dorothy who confronts ‘The Wizard’ after the ‘curtain reveal’ telling him he’s a very, very bad man.
But Dorothy isn’t the only character whose self-perception is at odds with her actions and behaviors. The friends she makes along her yellow brick road journey are equally mistaken. The Scarecrow who thinks he doesn’t have a brain. The Cowardly Lion who thinks he’s lacking courage. And The Tin Woodsman who feels he doesn’t have a heart. As they join forces and make their way together against insurmountable odds, they discover something about themselves that may never have happened without their camaraderie coupled with an individual willingness to take an unpredictable journey.
Which at long last brings me to my point, the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are goal oriented and willing to work for change. There’s nothing more deflating than hanging out with folks who are content in just complaining about the state of things, or worse the ‘why bother’ crowd who think our actions have little to no impact in effecting change.
After reading several articles (a few shared below) about what the fossil fuel industry has set their sights on for future survival (that being plastic-production and the appalling projected increase in plastic manufacturing facilities) I decided I needed to do something more than educating myself to effectively practice a more sustainable lifestyle. I had one of those sink or swim moments. So, I joined FoCo Trash Mob, a local group in our community that is working to eliminate single-use plastics in part by returning non-recyclable packaging to the offenders. Stay tuned next month to learn more about what we’re up to and perhaps we’ll inspire you to join or start your own ‘Trash Mob’ team!
Until then, I leave you with a rhetorical question and a thought provoking quote. First the question; Can you imagine a scenario had Dorothy decided to surrender to the Wicked Witch of the West? I sure can’t. As for the quote “By far the most dangerous foe we have to fight is apathy from whatever cause, not from lack of knowledge, but from carelessness, from absorption of other pursuits, from a contempt bred of self-satisfaction.” William Osler.
Until next month, do good work to be well!
Roxanne
https://theconversation.com/fossil-fuel-industry-sees-the-future-in-hard-to-recycle-plastic-123631
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/plastic-production/index.html
https://e360.yale.edu/features/the-plastics-pipeline-a-surge-of-new-production-is-on-the-way