The Wizard of Oz

One of the highlights of my growing up years was watching the annual broadcast of the Wizard of Oz on television. Back then, of coarse, there were no videos or DVD's to watch anytime we wanted, so we didn't want to miss it. My sisters and I would watch it every year and sing along with the songs. We had those songs and much of the dialogue memorized after many years of watching. It's always been one of my favorite movies. In fact, as an adult, I started collecting all things Wizard of Oz- bells, figurines, globes, books, door stops, magnets, greeting cards, dolls, rubber stamps, and I even have a door mat on my front porch that has the legs of the Wicked Witch sticking out and says "Ding Dong". Many of these items have been given to me by my family and friends who know of my obsession with the movie.

I've thought a lot over the years about why I like the Wizard of Oz so much. I think it is because of all the symbolism that is so prominent to me. "There's no place like home", the need of friends along the way, good overcoming evil, and never giving up even though the going gets rough are all themes in the movie. The characters are all very memorable (I love the Scarecrow!), and the songs are all wonderful with tunes and words you can't forget. The main song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, was an Academy Award winner and Judy Garland, with her beautiful voice, made the song and herself famous. What a great movie! When was the last time you saw it?!