Finding Our Way Back

by Sam Johnson

The Journey to meet the Great Oz took Dorothy in many fantastic directions only to discover in the end that the power to get back to Kansas was within her reach the whole time. For many Americans, we too are looking for answers to get back to a more peaceful time that feels more familiar than the dystopian here and now. It seems that there are enemies fiercer than the feared flying monkeys in Oz and evil more despicable than the Wicked Witch of the West all around us.

However, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, the journey reveals not only her strengths, but friends to help her along the way. Those who forge ahead in the face of great adversity are the ones that succeed in uncovering the hidden truths that will empower them.

For many last year was a disaster in so many ways. Many lived in fear for a better part of the year from things real and manufactured. Jobs, lives and trust were destroyed and lost. Americans gave up many freedoms due to fear of an unknown, unquantified enemy. Family, friends and communities were divided as never before by these fears. Cities saw “peaceful protests” turn into raging riots. The sudden aloneness of life was also a battle for many.

Whatever struggles we might face, the most important thing is not to waste the lessons hidden along the way. To learn from adversity is to grow as a person and get stronger. As Dorothy learned to stand up to the evil witch, she got stronger and overcame her. Her newly made friends also grew as they overcame the personal fears each had. Together they made an unbeatable team.

In our own community, we all have friends that have many different fears and obstacles they must overcome. We are all like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Lion and Tinman in many ways. Each had a personal fear that prevented them from being the person they were meant to be.

As well as unsubstantiated fears, there are obstacles along the way to overcome. These might be those trying to deceive us through lies and hidden theft. Only revealing truth and shining a light on these deceptions can render them powerless. Sharing our concerns with trusted friends helps us discern truth from fiction.

We need to bond together to help one another discover our strengths and share the truth about any deceptions we discover. Everyone lend a hand, not only to a friend, but also a stranger. Locally, we must focus on sharing our time and strengths throughout the community. Frequent local shops and hire local tradesmen. Join a service club or church. Only then do we become unbeatable as a community and stronger individually as well. In the end, we discover that the old familiar world we seek does not come from some “Great Oz” in a faraway place. It is here and now if we chose to wake up and make it real.