The Yellow Brick Road
A Journey Through Oz on L. Frank Baum's Birthday
Wisdom from Oz
The Oz books are full of gentle philosophy - observations about what we seek and what we already possess.
"A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others"
- The Wizard to the Tin Woodman
"You've always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself"
- Glinda to Dorothy
"No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country"
- Dorothy
"Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge"
- The Wizard
"I shall take the heart, for brains do not make one happy"
- The Tin Woodman
"If I only had a brain, I would while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers"
- The Scarecrow
"True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid"
- The Cowardly Lion
"Never give up. No one knows what's going to happen next"
- L. Frank Baum
"Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking"
- The Scarecrow
"The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick, so you cannot miss it"
- Witch of the North
"Everything has to come to an end, sometime"
- L. Frank Baum
"There is no place like home"
- Dorothy
"Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization"
- L. Frank Baum
"I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy"
- The Wizard
"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable"
- The Wizard
"It is kindness that makes one strong and brave"
- The Scarecrow
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the first American fairy tale"
- L. Frank Baum's stated intent
"To please a child is a sweet and lovely thing"
- L. Frank Baum
The Talismans
Objects of power in Oz, each teaching its own lesson:
Ruby Slippers
Power: Three clicks and you're home
Lesson: Power was always within
Silver Shoes
Power: The book version, lost in the Deadly Desert
Lesson: Some power is best forgotten
Oil Can
Power: Keep your joints moving, keep your heart soft
Lesson: Maintenance is love
Diploma
Power: A piece of paper that proves what you already know
Lesson: Credentials vs. competence
Testimonial Heart
Power: A silk heart stuffed with sawdust
Lesson: The symbol becomes the real
Medal of Courage
Power: Awarded for facing fear
Lesson: Bravery is action despite fear
Magic Belt
Power: Transforms and transports
Lesson: Power with responsibility
Great Book of Records
Power: Everything that happens, inscribed as it happens
Lesson: Knowledge without context
Love Magnet
Power: Makes everyone love the bearer
Lesson: Authenticity matters
Powder of Life
Power: Animates the inanimate
Lesson: Creation comes with responsibility
Wishing Pills
Power: Three wishes, used carefully
Lesson: Be careful what you wish for
Truth Pond water
Power: A single drop compels honesty
Lesson: Truth can be a burden
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