Brave New World
BY IRENE FRANK
In 1957, the director of Detroit’s
library system banned the
Wizard of Oz for having no
value for the children of his day,
for supporting “negativism” and
for “bringing children’s minds to a
cowardly level.” We know it as one
of the most beloved stories of all
time. Written in 1900 and filmed in
1939, it continues to capture audience’s
imaginations and tug at their
heartstrings.
As a senior-senior, I feel very
connected to this story, its characters
and its messages. The young
are brave enough to create a new
world and I, like the Lion in the
book, must summon up the courage
to enter it.
The Tin Man represented
the factory workers during the
Depression. Factories were shut
down and machines rusted. When
the Tin Man appears, he is so
rusted he can’t move. I, too, get
into that state of being, but it’s
called “arthritis.” Oh, for some of
Dorothy’s lubricating oil!
The Scarecrow represented
the Western farmers who were
seen as not too smart but often
found solutions to problems. The
character of Dorothy was that of
a young, naive, bored child in
search of adventure. These days,
I understand the character of The
Wizard. He is an authority figure
who through bullying, instilling
fear and lying, get people to obey
and worship him. In the end, his
power is diminished by the truth.
When it comes to thing electronics,
I embody the Lion, the
Scarecrow, the Tin Man and
Dorothy. I am totally intimidated.
They all sought to overcome fears
and obstacles in order to get what
they thought they lacked. So must
I if I am to be part of this brave
new world.
On Mother’s Day I typed
my son’s address into my new
iPhone’s GPS system. The
small skinny lady living inside
answered. She didn’t bother to
say “hello” and spoke in such
a quick and disinterested way I
knew she didn’t care if I got lost or
not. I heard “Take Marcus Avenue
1,400 feet, turn left at the seventh
light and get onto I-95 towards
Westchester. Go 1,700 steps to a
stop sign and turn left after seeing
the third cow from the right
pail.” I couldn’t absorb all she was
saying. The only word sounding
a little familiar was ‘cow.’
She spoke a lot and put me onto
27 different highways, announcing
that this was the quickest
way to Peeksville, a little town
where my son lives. Occasionally,
her directions led me to a fork
in the road, at which point she
stopped talking. What a spiteful
witch! Then she would say,
“Remember Yogi Berra’s advice,
‘When you come to a fork in the
road, take it!’”
“Please,” I begged, “don’t do
this to me on Mother’s Day. I
can’t get lost on Mother’s Day! I
must be on time!” I had heard that
part of a Chinese rocket was due
to fall from the sky and collide
with Earth today. Great, not only
would I be late but I might die
before the next fork in the road!
She must have heard the terror
in my voice and after a few recalculations
I arrived at my destination,
mentally and emotionally
exhausted but thrilled to be finally
hugging my family again. The
young people at the party spoke
a new language called ‘algorithms’
and ‘bitcoin.’ I tried to stifle the
scarecrow in me. I hoped that by
staying on the Yellow Brick Road
I might find comfort, someday, in
this brave new world.
North Shore Towers
At Studio
FREE To All North Shore Towers Residents
- All Mediums -
ARCADE BUILDING #2
516-640-2788
The Tailor Shop
The king of alterations at moderate prices.
Why settle for second best.
Women and Men’s clothes
masterfully repaired or made.
Worth the trip! Open 6 Days A Week.
NEW LOCATION
Behind Diane’s Bakery located in the Atria
100 Landing Road 2nd Floor
Roslyn, NY
Call Now 516.626.3650
Martin Ragusa Video Technician/Consultant
NORTH SHORE TOWERS
272-59 Grand Central Pkwy. Floral Park, N.Y. 11005
Tel. 516-328-2113 • 718-279-4595
Fax. 718-279-4597 • Email. pmprod@optonline.net
AT NORTH SHORE TOWERS
FIRST TIME CLIENT
FREE Manicure
&
CURRENT CLIENT
Free Manicure On Your Birthday
Good only Tues. & Wed.
SALON & MED SPA
718-423-8800
718-225-4100
July 2021 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 27
link
link
