Fee Fi Fo Fum, I See the Visions of a Prophecy

Let me begin by saying Spring Break is way too short. One week does not give anyone enough time to relax and take their mind off schoolwork. We should be given at least two weeks; the first week for leaving your home town and traveling, then the second week to hang around home, catch up on homework and hang out with friends that have also trotted home for their breaks. Everyone game for the idea?

After having a wonderful first half of Spring Break down in sunny San Diego, I needed to get home and get working on homework and my portfolio for school. It was just the other night that I made myself go out and have a good time with friends, other than staying in and completing homework and getting a good nights rest. Since it was the last night of spring break that I would get this chance, to hang out and take a load off my shoulders, I went for it and ended up really enjoyed myself. At dinner with five other friends, a few of us began a discussion about religion. We touched on a few different ideas including the various reasons of why people involve their lives in religious practices, what happens after death, which even brought a tangent of pondering if there are other life-forms outside of planet Earth. Trying not to get yelled at by bring school into this conversation (come on, it’s spring break!) I postponed my thoughts of Elizabeth in A Question of Power by Bessie Head.

Not being brought up in a religious atmosphere and never having anyone teach me about God and Jesus Christ, I learned the little I know through society. During our dinner we discussed religion is really just a security component in people’s lives. Whether they are able to walk into church and let all stressors leave their bodies for a few hours, or believing God is why they walk the Earth and having him be their everything, everyone has different reasons for bringing religious practices into their lives, everyday or occasionally. Now like I said before, I don’t know much about religions, but from my understanding Jesus Christ claimed to be the son of a fellow that went by the name God. But who said Jesus was the son? He did. And why did we believe him? For all we know, our character Elizabeth could be one of a higher power. After all, she says claims such higher authority. “I’m God too.” (Head 38)

Any doctor in their right mind would classify Elizabeth to me mentally ill. And I’m leaning towards the idea that if there were doctors during Jesus’ time, such as the ones we have today, if they would have classify him as mentally ill. All prophecies have encountered some form of vision that today would be considered to becoming from a mentally ill patient. So who is to say that Elizabeth isn’t really a higher spirit of some sort? Maybe there is a prophecy sitting in a mentally ill hospital as I type.

Even though I claim religion to be one’s security blanket for life, and such a statement comes out negatively, people whom partake in religious beliefs show to benefit greatly to having faith. Faith is a meaning to life for many and what more could one ask for than to know why they are there on Earth?

I do have my own beliefs but I would not classify it as any religion. Society influences us to think about different aspects of religious beliefs and we are in a way forced to draw our own thoughts about each idea. I would never say religion is foolish, yet I don’t need a faith in my life to live a meaningful life. And I would never say anyone is ridiculous or less off a person for feeling different than me. I think Elizabeth’s philosophy of “being ordinary” is a good one. I want to think overall this philosophy doesn’t necessarily mean to be “normal” but to try to be a good person. And I think that has a huge effect of living a happy and enjoyable life.

Africa had nothing , and yet, tentatively, she had been
introduced to one of the most complete statements for the
future a people could ever make: Be ordinary. (Head, 39)