I didn’t send out an email blast last month, so I am making up for it with a rather interesting story to tell you about a movie we just rented on Redbox, Toy Story 4. Probably, most of you have rented or seen in the theater one of the Toy Story movies. Tom Hanks voices “Woody” the sheriff and Tim Allen voices Buzz Lightyear. These movies have now spanned 25 years of memories for us.
I could not get the analogy of so much of our human society, that the movie contained, out of my mind after I saw it. I have learned that that means I should write about it. Over decades of writing, I have learned that my guides really “guide” me to what I write about by bugging me to no end until I say what they want me to say.
This latest version of Toy Story involved the addition of a new toy, “Forky”. It is simply made by the latest child all the toys are connected to. It’s made out of a plastic fork with twisties for the arms and legs that the child created. It became her prized possession that all the toys made sure she had at all times to make her happy.
The child, Bunny, immediately reminded me of how humans look at their jobs and careers. They will do anything to stay in the good graces of their workplace. Come in on their days off, work late, go to work events, etc. Humans put blinders on when it comes to any other way to be happy than go to work 9 to 5, pay the mortgage, car payment, and do it all over again the next day.
The toys would do anything to keep Bunny happy and entertained.
The first part of the movie finds Woody, the sheriff who guides all the other toys, masterminding the new Forky to stay with the child, Bunny. Forky keeps waundering off to figure out who he really is as a toy. He likes the trash (where he originally came from, better than the toy world). Do you know a Millennial that just doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up? That’s Forky. But, Woody along with his sidekick, Buzz Lightyear, defy all odds in making their human happy by keeping Forky close by whenever Bunny looks for him. An example of the good employee that gets the employee of the year award at the Christmas party each year at work, that is Woody.
But then enters Bo Peep. Years ago she was forced to leave Woody and the rest of the toys. She was given to an Antique Store because she was a female figurine with her three sheep on a lamp, (three sheep figurines who are stuck together). Woody had always had a spot in his wooden heart for her. When she arrived at the Antique Store, she quickly saw that the end of her days would be spent there, so she broke away, (A Big Company repetitive skilled job). She left the lamp and took her three sheep with her. She was no longer tied to the Human connection, or child, (meaning: Big Company job), and she had found her own way to survive. She lived in a enclosed moving vehicle (a skunk with motorized wheels that she drove from the inside). She also saw the entire wonderful world outside the toy storage area. Unlike all the other toys who seldom left the human child bedroom. (Big Company workplace.)
I see Bo Peep as a single mother with three children to raise finding her inner strength. She had gone within, when she left the Antique Store, meditated, and come up with an original plan for herself. Thinking outside the box, she was using her wise higher consciousness to make her way in the world without wearing blinders anymore.
Woody found her when he was trying to find Forky on one of his many searches for him. Going into the Antique Store one time, when he noticed the lamp with Bo Peep no longer on it, he encountered a new challenge, Gabby Gabby. Gabby Gabby is a doll in the Antique Store who desperately wants to be owned by a human. She feels lost without the commitment of a human to give her attention. But, no one buys Gabby Gabby. She has a pull tab on her back so she can talk, hence, Gabby Gabby, but her voice mechanism is damaged and no longer works. No child ever takes her home from the Antique Store.
When she encounters Woody, with a working voice mechanism, she wants him to give it to her. She has several soldiers to help her get her demands. These soldiers are all “dummies.” Puppets that have no hard bodies but scary, unmovable faces. Gabby Gabby has all the qualities we see in women today because of all the advertising they see to be the best, the prettiest, the most desirable. How do they be skinny enough, how can they get the make-up that will make them most beautiful, or how can they modify their form by plastic surgery to be the most beautiful they can be. Then everyone will like them and they will find all that they have dreamed of.
Woody ends up giving Gabby Gabby his voice mechanism to retrieve Forky for his human, but she quickly finds it not the answer she was hoping for. She is working and able to fully talk again as the Antique Store opens the next morning. As the owner’s grandchild picks her up and pulls her tab to talk, Gabby Gabby lights up with joy. But five minutes later, the little girl throws her down and moves on to another toy!!!!! A hard lesson learned by Gabby Gabby. She has too many blinders on as well. There is so much more meaning to what is on the inside of her than just what is on the outside.
Bo Peep agrees to help Woody get Forky back to their human child. Bo Peep is fearless. She hires Duke Kaboom who reminds you of Evil Knievel. He even has a motorcycle. Duke has no confidence in his ability to fly on the motorcycle because the advertising of his product oversold his abilities and he was never successful as a toy for kids. It takes Bo Peep telling him that he does have abilities even when he no longer believes he does.
Duke Kaboom actually saves the day by flying over cabinets and helping Woody, Buzz and Bo Peep to safely return Forky to their human child, (the Big Company). Duke retrieves his self-confidence when he realizes he can do many things in this world not just what society tells him he is supposed to do. He has special skills that can help so many others to succeed that he didn’t even see til Bo Peep took his blinders off. Sound Familiar???
Bo Peep is slowing changing the way Woody looks at life as well. Woody has always thought that it was his responsibility to protect all the toys for the human child. Meanwhile the newest human child was tiring of him already. Giving much more of her time to the newest gadget, or toy, Forky. Kinda like if a human was trying to work themselves up the ladder of success in their company until a new employee arrives. The new employee has all the skills the company desires like experience with all the latest software the company has just invested in. The older employee is quickly forgotten. This is where Woody was in the film toward the end.
He listened more and more to the innovative ideas Bo Peep had for thinking outside the box. She was empowered with inspiration from her higher consciousness not to be a slave to a human, (the Big Company) but to grow and enrich herself with her skills and expertise.
In the end, Woody takes a leap of faith and leaves the toys to go off into the unknown with Bo Peep. Happy Ending or Exciting New Adventure????
Have you ever felt like Woody? Wanting to listen to your higher self about your true path. What in your heart is calling you? Many times that is your higher consciousness pulling the strings on the puppet below saying it’s time for a change. It’s time to step into what you really came to do in this life as your soul’s path. Is it time to take the blinders off as Bo Peep did and look into the unknown for some of the answers?
By the way, this is the last night of a three day long Blood Full Moon. It’s also called Hunter’s Moon. Time for completions and wrapping up of things. What do you need to wrap up to assist in achieving your soul’s path?
Just remember to Lean in, breathe through the Turns and be Brave. Good Advice when Skiing, but it Applies to Much More….
nta Fe
Love and light to you, Lee
