‘The Road To OZ’
For decades, individuals have debated the validity or fallacy of ‘The Road To OZ’. I have decided to pay homage to this portrait in life & those artists behind the painting of. I have had many come to me in question of whether or not the ‘portrait’ truly exists. Many have been led to believe that it is simply an ‘illusion’ or ‘dream’ within one man’s intellect or mental framework. A mirage on one man’s journey in life that he simply made reference to.
For those of us who are 40 years of age or older, it is easier to see the total portrait & conceive its message. There was a time within life & American society at large, when life was shared by the elderly within our realms & passed down to the youth. We were akin to our roots, history, heritage & family traditions. We were all neutrons in the nucleus of our communities, we all counted & we all had a purpose, reason & cause to strive for our betterment. At the same time, we all had a ‘position’ in life’s pyramid & ladder that was strictly adhered to. Thus leaving many individuals suppressed & oppressed when it came to individual ‘Growth & Development’.
For those of us knowledgeable about the history of our Nation, we must remember, that many times ‘dreams’ & ‘visions’ had to be disguised or blanketed from those who preyed upon our educational & economical weaknesses. During the age of Industrialization in America, many times as not, those within impoverishment & disenfranchisement, although technically competent & inventive, were not respected or considered. Their concepts & inventions were stolen and buried or capitalized on by the elite.
The ‘Road To OZ’ is symbolic of every individuals journey within life. The Road is paved with bricks. The bricks are representative of knowledge & wisdom. Knowledge is ‘golden’, wisdom is ‘deadly’. These are collected by each individual’s desire to achieve growth & development within his character. As one travels on his journey, his bricks(souvenirs) become more numerous.
The ‘legs’ of our journey on the ‘Road To Oz’ are representative of the stages in life. We have been fortunate enough to reap the wisdom of those who have traveled before us. Whether or not we choose to learn from their experiences, is another story. Each & every brick holds value to our survival, enabling us to write a legacy & leave something standing for tomorrow.
Today within the materialistic society we live in...we associate the Road To Oz with gold. Therefore many feel that it is unconceivable that it exists at all. I say to you, what price do you put on ‘knowledge & wisdom’? Is that not what the ‘whole’ of the people seek? If knowledge & wisdom were not priceless...why would so many within life’s capstone try to suppress it? Why should only a chosen few benefit from its existence? Why is knowledge feared by those within life’s capstone when it is possessed by those within life’s base? Does knowledge not weaken the ‘false’ & ‘negative’ portraits painted by others who deter our advancement? Thus the present ‘dumbing down effect’ within our educational realms & the push for ‘Mental Apartheid’.
The ‘Road To OZ’ is not an illusion...it is the journey of one man’s struggle to leave something standing when he has reached his destination. Just like Dorothy, there are risks & sacrifices along the way. But did Dorothy not reach Kansas? Did the Scarecrow not receive his brain? Did the Lion not receive his heart? Was evil not conquered?
I leave you as I came, with a great deal of love & respect for life,
Lady Gray
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