“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

There is always a curtain.  There’s a lot going on that’s concealed, the necessary underpinning of what we experience as “normal” life.  The supply chain for example operates unobtrusively, silently, efficiently.  In times of social displacement, in the grip of anxiety which comes and goes, we wonder about what is happening behind the curtain. 

In the Wizard of Oz movie, the Wizard has promised Dorothy a ride home, a brain for the scarecrow, a heart for the Tin Man and courage for the Lion in return for handing over to him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West.  The Wizard delays, asking that they return tomorrow.  They return and beg the Wizard for his help.  Toto, Dorothy’s dog, noticing the curtain movement, pulls back the fabric.  The Wizard is revealed  to be other than they thought him to be.  Then comes the famous, futile line to “pay no attention….”

We are in one of those times.  Normal life has been upended by a virulent, randomly deadly virus.  The jobs report this morning announced that 14.7% are now unemployed, that’s 20.5 million that were working in mid March.  The President who in normal times will stand for re-election in November has informally, and by “behind the curtain” actions directed the nation back-to-work.  The published guidelines for a reduction of infections by the CDC are being ignored in some states by Governors anxious to curry favor with the President and their political party.  Now is the time when I’d like to find a ride home, be given a brain, a heart, or courage.  Though I am certain that there’s no one behind the curtain with the ability to bestow such rare and important human qualities. 

I think that one way or another, even if the Wizard behind the curtain is just a man — the people will have what they want.  This is the story of humankind.  The insurgency in due time becomes the establishment, and then comes along Toto, pulling back the curtain.  Never mind the rhetoric, the glitz and flash, the name calling, and casting of blame….

The presentation, is just the man behind the curtain.

CLICK HERE to watch the video segment from The Wizard of Oz.

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I learned that I am not cut out for landscaping.  As adults all know, one does what is needed to the best of one’s ability.  I removed two dead bushes using a shovel, a wheelbarrow and an axe.  The shrubs grew and become deeply rooted over a number of years.  I desired to remove the dry and thorny debris to make room for fresh

plantings.  Wishing does not make it so.

After several hours of steady work, taking breaks of course as I am not physically fit for this kind of work, the task was accomplished.  How worthy of respect, due appreciation for skill with shovel and axe are the

landscapers who cultivate the trees, shrubs, flowering plants, and lawns that bring beauty to our homes.  The work would be considered hard labor, requiring a fit body, and deft coordination from experience with a shovel.  Why the axe?  The axe is applied to stout roots that are deeply entwined.  The shovel and the axe: tools of choice for removing a dead shrub or two.

I am not cut out for landscaping and landscaping professionals are worth their pay and more.