What "Wicked" meant to me as a believer in girls who are different

Feeling a bit unsure before writing this post, I hoped that some confirmation bias would have my back when googling "wicked neurodivergence". The internet did not disappoint, and here I am, braving my first blog post on this page.

For those who don't know, Wicked is the story-before-the-story of the Wizard of Oz. Other than "Wicked" referring to the Wicked Witch of the West, I knew very little about the Broadway musical before watching the film adaptation last week. I could talk about the movie for hours, but what I felt I wanted to share here, was how Elphaba reminded me of so many of the girls that I work with. Obviously different, somewhat misunderstood, sometimes bullied and often shunned. But also so wise, so incredibly brave, and so deeply committed to stick to their guts that their parents, peers, and educators often have endless struggles to get these "green" kids on board with the "pink" life they imagine for them.

Galinda (the perfect and "pink" one) irritated me at first, but through her incredible character development, snuck into my heart too. Which proved to me the very idea that I have had for years: what if our "character development" depends on the "green ones" in our world? What if they are the evolved ones who are there to teach us about being true and being powerful? What if the "pink" life really isn't all that it's cracked up to be?

I think that I'll be humming "Defying Gravity" for a while, and my wish for every girl who relates to Elphie in any way, is to find opportunities to freely exercise their intuitive powers and abilities. For their educators and peers to have open minds when engaging with them. And for every parent of a "green" girl to be in awe of the child in front of you. She has unseen abilities and inborn potential that will continue to inspire you if you let her.

Image from Lucy Claire Illustration