Finding the 'Wicked' truth in our stories

I’ve always believed in looking for the good in people. Perhaps naively, I believe nobody is truly "bad" - just a product of their environment and protective systems.

The film Wicked is the absolutely brilliant portrayal of that, on both an individual and collective level.

We are only the stories we tell ourselves, or the stories we tell other people. Sometimes we alter those stories to fit the message we think we need to survive.

The story we have always been told about the Wizard of Oz is not the full truth. There are, as with every story, different versions of it, depending on the viewpoint. We all have parts of us that are wicked and parts that are good, but ultimately we strive to be the best we can, the most loving we can, the most connected we can. To do the right thing - for everyone.

We need to keep reading the stories of the other narratives - to realise there is more to the story than meets the eye. We need to show our children to leave no stone unturned and ask all the questions - to share the stories of those silenced. This is what I help young people do with life story work - to fully understand their story as a whole - not just one persons version of it. We also look at the heroes in the story - the ones we meet who challenge us, change us, love us - 'because I knew you, I have been changed for good'.

By fully embracing our stories - we can all strive to be good people (and a little bit wicked when we need to be!).