This weekend while watching Oz: The Great and Powerful I noticed multi-colored horses in the pastures outside of Emerald City obviously paying homage to the original film. This made me wonder, how did this colorful horse become a trademark of Emerald City, what does it stand for?   

The definition given for “a horse of a different color” refers to something that is completely different or separate especially in comparison to something else. For example, I thought I was good at baking, but French Pâtisserie is a horse of different color. Another example, I thought I was good at math, but differential calculus is a horse of a different color. The example I am feeling most, I thought I was an experienced teacher but teaching during a pandemic is a horse of a different color. When presented with added information that is completely different or something else entirely from what you thought, what will you do? Will you welcome this shift and say, “Come on in!”  Or will you ignore it and precede as you were before? 

How can we use this expression to be more open-minded? How can you find the connections to what you now see differently? That even with a changed “mane” color, the main beliefs and fundamentals do still exist. Exposure to ever changing circumstances forces us to recognize and focus on the things that are central to what we know and care about. If these past 6 months have taught me anything it is that a horse of a different color a la Wizard of Oz would not be the strangest change to cross my path. To always remember words of my Dad in that “Things change daily.”  I am going to embrace changes with the “Come on in” attitude. What does “a horse of a different color” mean to you?