Legacy: No Small Feat
Leaving a legacy is no small performance for those who once lived. I only when I got to university, read the L. Frank Baum novel, and saw the play, did I fully understand the nuance, metaphor, milieu and true marvel of The Wizard of Oz . As a child, not even Dorothy's sparkling ruby red kicks nor her lush vocal chops could hold my attention. Safe in my metropolitan 'Kansas', I was not searching for a wizard. Nor did I require an escape from my place in this world. There was no place like my home. Full of glory and excitement, having two loving parents, tons of sisters and brothers, a house of love falling upon me each day, and occasionally a family pooch to keep me moving gaily forward. Today, I learned Jerry Maren, the last surviving munchkin from The Wizard of Oz passed away. Maren will surely ease on down the road and find Hollywood immortality and beyond. On screen, he represented the Lollipop Guild and famously gifted Dorothy (Judy Garland) the large, red ...