One day, I went to Kansas.

Then I had the feeling that I wasn’t in Kansas any more.

My keen instincts were correct. I had left Kansas. I was at home in the Greater Hartland area.

When I returned home, I brought a gift for my wife. It wasn’t the best gift, but I thought that it was an appropriate gift from someone returning from Kansas.

The gift appeared to be an empty jar. Nothing but the best for my baby. The jar had a lid on it. It needed a secure lid to keep the contents safely inside. Yes, it looked like an empty jar, but looks can be deceiving. The label on the jar read, &uot;Warning: This jar contains one Kansas tornado. Do not open.&uot; I just hope that I am not spoiling my wife with my largesse.

The gift was in reference to &uot;The Wizard of Oz&uot; &045;&045; one of the most popular movies of all time. This grand film of 1939 is a favorite of the young at heart. It is more than a movie. It has become an institution and a cultural phenomenon. Based on the L. Frank Baum book, it aired the first time on television in 1956. &uot;The Wizard of Oz&uot; starred 16-year-old Judy Garland (she had turned 17 by the time the movie began showing) playing Dorothy. She had a little dog named Toto that lead to about a million other dogs owned by viewers being named Toto. The movie featured Uncle Henry, Auntie Em, Zeke, Hickory, Miss Gulch, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Glinda the good witch, the Wicked Witch of the East and of the West (two locations for your convenience, but which witch is which?), flying monkeys, a million munchkins, a horse of a different color, trees that throw apples and the great and all powerful Wizard of Oz. I don’t think that the wizard was an elected position, but if so, I’m guessing he was a Congressman.

Just about everyone likes &uot;The Wizard of Oz.&uot; I can’t remember anyone ever telling me, &uot;I really hate ‘The Wizard of Oz.’&uot; Most of us know that the Scarecrow longed for a brain, the Tin Man wanted a heart and the Lion desired courage. Dorothy needed to see the Wizard so she could get back to Kansas. I guess road maps weren’t much good in those days. Toto was in search of a tasteful flea collar and a tree that didn’t throw apples at him.

&uot;The Wizard of Oz&uot; has left its mark on our lives.

&uot;We’re off to see the Wizard.&uot;

&uot;Ding, dong, the witch is dead.&uot;

&uot;O-e-o, E-o.&uot;

&uot;If, I only had a brain/a heart/the nerve.&uot;

&uot;Auntie Em, Auntie Em.&uot;

We would watch it once a year on television. It was a break from the real world and its math requirements. My wife, The Queen B, and I were not long into our married lives. We would get out the TV trays &045;&045; the good ones. We would peel back the foil on a rubbery chicken TV dinner, click our heels three times, turn on the TV and prepare to be entertained by the goings-on in and around the Emerald City. Life was good and so was the movie. There were no silly martial arts battles, no car chases and no decapitations. The worst things that happened other than the commercials were a scary tornado, a house falling on one witch and another witch melting.

&uot;I’m melting!

I’m melting!&uot;

We had no VHS or DVD, so it was a big deal to see &uot;The Wizard of Oz&uot; once a year on TV.

&uot;Follow the yellow brick road.&uot;

&uot;Somewhere over the rainbow.&uot;

&uot;The Wizard of Oz&uot; taught us so much. We learned that only Dorothy should ride a tornado. We learned that ruby slippers are fine for hiking down yellow brick roads. We learned that the folks who lived in Oz looked much like the residents of Kansas. We learned that only bad witches are ugly. We learned that if you are a Wicked Witch of the East, you should always keep an eye out for falling farmhouses. We learned that life’s journey requires heart, wisdom and courage. The Scarecrow became intelligent. The Tin Man became affectionate. The Lion became courageous. We knew that these were qualities that they had all the time, but needed to be realized. We learned that wizards do not have all the answers. The answers are within.

Oh, we learned one other thing.

There is no place like home.

(Al Batt is a Hartland resident. His columns appear Wednesdays and Sundays in the Tribune.)