Elphaba - My First Role As A Goddess
*Note - I have spent hours editing this piece, I am ridiculously hard on myself. I need to stop reading it and move on.
Image Credits: Elphaba, by Aly Fell
Back in the day, whippersnapper, there were only twelve channels on your TV. If you were lucky, your tinfoil covered rabbit ears got reception for all of them. Annually, one of these fine channels aired a classic movie, ‘The Wizard of OZ’.
The first time the ‘Wizard of OZ’ had ever been televised was November 3, 1956. From this point forward it was always aired soon after Halloween, but well before Thanksgiving. The content was simply too “dark” to air to close to Thanksgiving.
From 1959 to 1998 the major networks fought over who got the rights to air the movie; until the point at which it was simply no longer profitable to do so.
For sixteen years my mother and I watched the Wizard of Oz. It was a tradition to eat Halloween candy and make our way down the yellow brick road with Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Elphaba, as the Witch would years later be named, seemed to be my mother’s favorite character. She was a pretty passionate Witch, especially in regards to those shoes. Mom new the truth behind Elphaba’s passion though. It was never the shoes that mattered, it was all they represented.
For mom those shoes represented the chance she needed to finally have a piece of the ever youthfully promised hot American apple pie. Yet like all Witches, soon to be transformed into Bitches, mom knew that every woman who works just a little too hard for her slice; shows a little too much, or not enough skin, assertiveness, submissiveness; gives in at the right or wrong moment; shall be burned at the stake. Those ruby slippers are an allowance to tread upon the glass ceiling; taking care not to fall and shatter it all in the process. A pair of sparkly red high heels, the only safety offered a woman who is trying to figure out exactly how to be what it is she was born to be, in a world that expects everything but.
Which is exactly why mom put every ounce of energy she had into making me into Elphaba.
I was six when Mom got me a tall pointy black witches hat and a long black dress with full arms. She was so excited, it was the perfect costume, and she had insider knowledge of where all the good parties where going to be that year.
Mom teased my hair until it framed my face like a huge unkempt mess. Then painted my hands and face green and pinned on my hat.
She looked down at me with happiness and pride in her creation. I was overjoyed by the way her eyes of approval lifted me up. In that moment she awakened a Goddess in me. It was the first Goddess that I had ever fully embodied.
I sat staring out the car window, thinking about Elphaba as we headed to the first stop of the night. Mom told me the costume had to be great tonight. That I was going to understand what it was like to win. That night, as she had made me into Elphaba, may not have been the most sober of nights, but as we headed out into it I felt inspired; like I could do anything!
The first stop was some sort of elderly church gathering. There were only a few children, of which I was the littlest.
Mom and I had a blast. She entered me into the costume contest, her plan all along and I won! I got to choose a prize, the first Barbie I would ever own. It was one of those knock-offs, yet I was excited to own it.
Mom took us to several seemingly random places; a few bars, another church, a mall, a grocery store, a couple restaurants. We had a blast as she entered me into every costume contest and I won every one.
That night, I did not simply pantomime scenes featuring the Wicked Witch of the West from the movie, I was Elphaba.
In every place we went, I became Elphaba in that moment. In that place. In that crowd. I knew Elphaba deeply, her strengths, her weaknesses and I portrayed her with every answer I gave, every request I made, every time I was offered water. That’s what won people over, either that or annoyed them until I crushed their toxic spirits with my cuteness. Don’t get me wrong, I was the best Elphaba, but I was only six and definitely no Margaret Hamilton.
Still I remember, feeling beautiful, seen, appreciated, and showered with gifts like I never had ever been before. I certainly knew exactly what it was like to win! As you may imagine of life with my mom, this was not my first dog and pony show. Yet it was the first time I got to be a Witch, embody a Goddess, and feel like I owned those ruby slippers awhile.
~TigrisSky
Image Credits: Elphaba, by Aly Fell
Back in the day, whippersnapper, there were only twelve channels on your TV. If you were lucky, your tinfoil covered rabbit ears got reception for all of them. Annually, one of these fine channels aired a classic movie, ‘The Wizard of OZ’.
The first time the ‘Wizard of OZ’ had ever been televised was November 3, 1956. From this point forward it was always aired soon after Halloween, but well before Thanksgiving. The content was simply too “dark” to air to close to Thanksgiving.
From 1959 to 1998 the major networks fought over who got the rights to air the movie; until the point at which it was simply no longer profitable to do so.
For sixteen years my mother and I watched the Wizard of Oz. It was a tradition to eat Halloween candy and make our way down the yellow brick road with Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Elphaba, as the Witch would years later be named, seemed to be my mother’s favorite character. She was a pretty passionate Witch, especially in regards to those shoes. Mom new the truth behind Elphaba’s passion though. It was never the shoes that mattered, it was all they represented.
For mom those shoes represented the chance she needed to finally have a piece of the ever youthfully promised hot American apple pie. Yet like all Witches, soon to be transformed into Bitches, mom knew that every woman who works just a little too hard for her slice; shows a little too much, or not enough skin, assertiveness, submissiveness; gives in at the right or wrong moment; shall be burned at the stake. Those ruby slippers are an allowance to tread upon the glass ceiling; taking care not to fall and shatter it all in the process. A pair of sparkly red high heels, the only safety offered a woman who is trying to figure out exactly how to be what it is she was born to be, in a world that expects everything but.
Which is exactly why mom put every ounce of energy she had into making me into Elphaba.
I was six when Mom got me a tall pointy black witches hat and a long black dress with full arms. She was so excited, it was the perfect costume, and she had insider knowledge of where all the good parties where going to be that year.
Mom teased my hair until it framed my face like a huge unkempt mess. Then painted my hands and face green and pinned on my hat.
She looked down at me with happiness and pride in her creation. I was overjoyed by the way her eyes of approval lifted me up. In that moment she awakened a Goddess in me. It was the first Goddess that I had ever fully embodied.
I sat staring out the car window, thinking about Elphaba as we headed to the first stop of the night. Mom told me the costume had to be great tonight. That I was going to understand what it was like to win. That night, as she had made me into Elphaba, may not have been the most sober of nights, but as we headed out into it I felt inspired; like I could do anything!
The first stop was some sort of elderly church gathering. There were only a few children, of which I was the littlest.
Mom and I had a blast. She entered me into the costume contest, her plan all along and I won! I got to choose a prize, the first Barbie I would ever own. It was one of those knock-offs, yet I was excited to own it.
Mom took us to several seemingly random places; a few bars, another church, a mall, a grocery store, a couple restaurants. We had a blast as she entered me into every costume contest and I won every one.
That night, I did not simply pantomime scenes featuring the Wicked Witch of the West from the movie, I was Elphaba.
In every place we went, I became Elphaba in that moment. In that place. In that crowd. I knew Elphaba deeply, her strengths, her weaknesses and I portrayed her with every answer I gave, every request I made, every time I was offered water. That’s what won people over, either that or annoyed them until I crushed their toxic spirits with my cuteness. Don’t get me wrong, I was the best Elphaba, but I was only six and definitely no Margaret Hamilton.
Still I remember, feeling beautiful, seen, appreciated, and showered with gifts like I never had ever been before. I certainly knew exactly what it was like to win! As you may imagine of life with my mom, this was not my first dog and pony show. Yet it was the first time I got to be a Witch, embody a Goddess, and feel like I owned those ruby slippers awhile.
~TigrisSky