Optimistic Voices - Writers Forum

Sock · 07-15-2007, 09:56 PM

Like most children, I found that the film "The Wizard of Oz" had a certain gravity to it that could not be ignored. It was certainly one of my childhood favorites and always managed to entertain and amaze me. It had a fantasy and mystique that transcended time and still held affect some fifty years after its release. I loved the film you could say, especially around the age of four.

I kept a moderate interest in the film well into elementary school and when I discovered that the school was putting on a play adaptation of the film, I was pretty excited to audition (this seems like the opportune time to say that I am not gay, but I can understand why some one would think that by this story

).

I did so and obtained the roll of the Tin Man. This was very cool for me, as he was one of my favorite character of the film.

Six months later (after the endless rehearsing of lines, learning of ridiculous and degrading dance steps and grueling vocal training) I decided that I never wanted to see or hear anything to do with The Wizard of Oz ever again. And so the boycott began.

I did not watch the film for years after that. The very thought of it made me mad and uncomfortable. Every time i head "We're off to see the Wizard... If I only had a..." I was annoyed and immediately tuned out.

It was not until just recently that something very interesting happened.

I had gotten very caught up in the things that were going on around me (politically, Socially etc) and my mind had been working overtime mauling these dilemmas over. So, after a few straight says of doing "teenage" things, with friends and such, I found myself home alone one night, channel surfing at 3 in the morning.

I am sure you can guess what was playing. The Wizard of Oz. Now normally I would have cringed for a moment and continued my surfing, but I happened to come into the film at a very peculiar point that played with my emotions in a very strange and powerful way.

The scene wherein Dorothy and the others are saved from their "drug induced" comas, and continue onwards to Emerald City. The exact scene was not what was so intriguing but the song rather. Optimistic Voices. I had completely forgot about this song; perhaps because it rarely parodied and is one of the least popular songs in the film.

You're out of the woods
You're out of the dark
You're out of the night
Step into the sun
Step into the light
Keep straight ahead for
The most glor ...
... ious place
On the face
Of the earth or the sky

As I heard it, the most intense feeling of nostalgia washed over me. Suddenly I was a little boy in my grandmothers basement watching this film on the large, graining floor model television set, watching with excitement, wonder and glee as Dorothy and the Tin Man and The Lion and The Scarecrow all pranced together happily, continuing the adventure. My eyes began to swell as I remembered so vividly why I loved the movie so much as a child. And not only this movie but all movies, and life in general.

My cheesy adolescent anxieties were lifted for that brief 40 seconds and I was a child again. Then the song ended. And I was back in reality, laughing at myself for getting so emotional and rubbing my eyes dry.

It was a very odd feeling that passed over me. A memory that had been lost somewhere in my subconscious was suddenly reanimated, and the rush was very delightful and surprising. As it left, I was happy for a few minutes, maybe even an hour. But ultimately I returned to reality, and the same fears and problems came back into my head. It will be a while before I watch The Wizard of Oz again. As I want to keep it an artifact of my childhood. I will one day watch it, perhaps with my own children.

And I can only hope for another brief grasp at that childhood bliss.

mammamaia · 07-16-2007, 07:52 PM

this needs a bit of work...

Quote:

Optimistic Voices
Like most children, I found that the film "The Wizard of Oz" had a certain gravity to it that could not be ignored. [???...do 'most children'?...i certainly didn't and neither did any of my 7 children.... little ones don't think in terms of 'gravity'] It was certainly one of my childhood favorites and always managed to entertain and amaze me. It had a fantasy and mystique that transcended time and still held affect [makes no sense] some fifty years after its release. I loved the film you could say,[why would we?...best deleted] especially around the age of four.

I kept a moderate interest [poor wording] in the film well into elementary school and when I discovered that the school was putting on a play adaptation of the film, I was pretty excited about auditioning (this seems like the opportune time to say that I am not gay, but I can understand why some one [1 word, not 2] would think that by this story

[i don't see this as needed, but if you really want to make a point about it, reword the underlined part to explain why]).

I did so and obtained the role of the Tin Man. This was very cool for me, as he was one of my favorite characters of the film.

Six months later (after the endless rehearsing of lines, learning of ridiculous and degrading dance steps and grueling vocal training), I decided that I never wanted to see or hear anything to do with "The Wizard of Oz" ever again. And so the boycott began.

I did not watch the film for years after that. The very thought of it made me mad and uncomfortable[odd combo/order?]. Every time I heard "We're off to see the Wizard..." or "If I only had a..." I was annoyed and immediately tuned out.

It was not until just recently that something very interesting happened. [too all-encompassing, don't you think?]

I had gotten very caught up in the things that were going on around me (politically, socially etc.) and my mind had been working overtime mulling over these dilemmas. So, after a few straight says ['days'?]of doing "teenage" things with friends and such, I found myself home alone one night,[redundant w/ 'at 3am'] channel surfing at 3 in the morning.

I am sure you can guess what was playing. "The Wizard of Oz." Now, normally I would have cringed for a moment and continued my surfing, but I happened to come into the film at a very peculiar [did you mean 'particular'?]point that played with my emotions in a very strange and powerful way.

The scene wherein Dorothy and the others are saved from their "drug induced" comas, [no need for comma] and continue on to Emerald City. The exact scene was not what was so intriguing, but the song rather.[makes no sense... word/s missing?] "Optimistic Voices." I had completely forgotten about this song--perhaps because it's rarely parodied [why would it be and why would you have not forgotten it if it was?] and is one of the least popular songs in the film.

You're out of the woods
You're out of the dark
You're out of the night
Step into the sun
Step into the light
Keep straight ahead for
The most glor ...
... ious place
On the face
Of the earth or the sky

As I heard it, the most intense feeling of nostalgia washed over me. Suddenly I was a little boy in my grandmother's basement, watching this film on the large, grainy floor model television set--watching with excitement, wonder and glee as Dorothy and the Tin Man and The Lion and The Scarecrow all pranced together happily, continuing the adventure. My eyes began to swell as I remembered so vividly why I loved the movie so much as a child. And not only this movie but all movies, and life in general.

My cheesy adolescent anxieties were lifted for that brief 40 seconds and I was a child again. Then the song ended. And I was back in reality, laughing at myself for getting so emotional, and rubbing my eyes dry.

It was a very odd feeling that passed over me. A memory that had been lost somewhere in my subconscious was suddenly reanimated, and the rush was very delightful and surprising. As it left, I was happy for a few minutes, maybe even an hour. But ultimately, I returned to reality, and the same fears and problems came back into my head. It will be a while before I watch "The Wizard of Oz" again, as I want to keep it an artifact of my childhood. I will watch it one day--perhaps with my own children.

And I can only hope for another brief grasp at that childhood bliss.
__________________

At least I think... so...

hope this helps... love and hugs, maia

BWE · 07-17-2007, 03:00 AM

The film "The Wizard of Oz" stuck itself deep inside the toybox of my mind, tucked away like toy monkey that at random intervals crashed its cymbals together such that, even if I wanted to forget it, it would never let me. The cymbals crashed with solemn intention, expressing a certain gravity and perhaps even some urgency. As a child, busy acquiring new tibits of this and that and discarding the ones that no longer entertained me I always held on the Wizard of Oz. The fantasy and poetic subtlety that transcended time, still holding sway some fifty years after its release, those I didn't understand (being a child) yet I knew that something about the film moved me and I put that memory, that feeling in a favored place in the tiny cubbies in my mind. I loved the film you could say, especially around the age of four.

Not that I would advocate this kind of writing but I often find weaknesses in my own writing by reworking it into a slightly pretentious literary style and seeing what holds. Often I discover that I missed an important image I wanted to convey.

IMHO, this piece needs a bit of mental imagery. I want to put myself in your shoes. You are telling me a story. I can choose to ignore because you didn't pull me in.

Sorry. My very first post and it seems a tad sharp. Hope it helps.

edit: vary the verbs.