The Wicked

How often do we judge a book by its cover?? I believe we as humans do it more than we would admit.? We judge without knowing the whole story.? We don’t think about the backstory that brought someone to a particular moment in life.

Do you know the backstories of the people who work with you?? Do you know what’s underneath?

I believe a quality of strong leaders is taking an interest in people.? To be curious about human beings.? What do you think??? Is that too simple – too easy?

I have always loved The Wizard of Oz since I was a child.? I looked forward to it being on television once a year to watch and believe it or not I watched it even when the change from the black and white of Kansas to the color of Oz didn’t happen because we had a black and white television.? That will be unimaginable to many who might read this…

Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West scared me even when I knew she was going to make an appearance in a scene.? I wanted to look away but couldn’t.? She was wicked through and through…? Until…? Gregory McGuire wrote a book about the Wicked Witch of the West’s backstory - Wicked.? Then Stephen Schwartz composed a musical version of her backstory – Wicked.? Children will never watch The Wizard of Oz with the same view of the Wicked Witch as bad - like I did - because they will forever be influenced by her backstory.

Talk about bursting a bubble – Glinda’s bubble that is – because maybe Elphaba is not all bad and Glinda is not all good… Follow your yellow brick road and find out about someone you encounter who may be different in many ways than you, but ultimately more the same.

And…

The next time you see a green faced witch from any direction, remember there are different paths everyone takes to get to today, each one is real, each one is true, and none make us truly wicked…