Miracle. Apple Juice. Noxa. Marshmallows. Mowing the lawn. March Madness.
I just listed a few of my favorite things. I could watch the Disney movie Miracle every month and never cease to cheer. I think apple juice is the elixir to life. Marshmallows are the scent of the Greek gods. I could easily write another blog about mowing the lawn. I suffered my first heartbreak in 1998 when my beloved Wildcats lost to the Utes during March Madness. I can write nonstop about Noxa the Bcl-2, pro-apoptotic BH3-only protein, but I will spare you that adventure story. I write these things because I am mildly concerned that when people think of me, all they see is Harry Potter (HP). Silly. I don’t look anything like the bloke! I have long contested in my family that we are really ogres with peels of layers to our emotions. I was told only ogres like to contest their views. Ha. My point is that there is so much more to me than this HP nonsense. For crying out loud, I haven’t even tested out Pottermore yet!
Anyway, this blog will unfortunately NOT break with custom. I realize my last paragraph is rendered moot as well since this post is infused with enough Butterbeer to keep you wanting more HP posts in the future. Before I get to the meat of the post, I preface it with the following texts I received from my family the night of July 14th-15th, 2011 when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II was released.
I made my wand :)
-Camille (she sent a picture of a blue fluorescent wand at 11:30 pm. I was already giddy with excitement but receiving this text made me LOL b/c I remember dragging her 6 hrs early to the OotP midnight release in Tucson, AZ)
If you’re watching Harold Potter’s last movie be careful, love you & have a goodnight ;)
*Mario (3 am in Mpls, 1 am in Phx)
How is Harry?
-Dad (my mom sent it from my Dad’s phone)
That was awesome!
-Ammon (younger bro who broke BYU-I rules to watch the midnight showing)
Now to explain this post, I have written below an alternative mormon.org profile with a strong influence of HP. Why did I do this? I already have one written. It is a serious one that genuinely expresses why I choose to be a Mormon. It says nothing regarding my partiality to the HP books or any other book aside from scripture. My reason for writing the following is not to mock either! I was challenged by two well-dressed boys to incorporate HP into an alternative mormon.org profile. I accepted the challenge because I typically do whimsical stuff like accepting to run the most challenging position of the Great River Ragnar Relay without checking the course. It’s just what I do. So here goes:
Hi! I’m Xazmin.
I am a Slytherin-sorted muggle-born from Arizona, USA. Nevertheless, I am as gutsy as any Gryffindor, as hardworking as any Hufflepuff, and as resourceful as any Ravenclaw.
About me:
I was born to goodly parents who endowed me with a pureblooded Navajo ancestry. (Whether this factors into my Slytherin affinity is unknown, but I have taken up blogging to solve for such things.) I went through my years as a squirt mesmerized by tales—be it tall or fairy or true. Little did I know that I was brewing a charm equivalent to the Fidelius charm to all things magical! I grew up in an environment fostered by a great love and appreciation for life. My siblings kept me well grounded and I happily returned the favor. The magic I write of and speak of is not so overt as to elicit “oohs and ahhs”. Rather, the magic I seek lies within every unique individual who triumphs over the cards they are dealt. I am a fan of wizards and muggles alike.
Why I am a Mormon...er... a Harry Potter fan:
My reasons for being a Mormon have been established here. However I am welcome to discuss it further over a pot of mutton stew and chilled apple juice. My reasons for being an HP fan have not been divulged yet. In my teenage years, news from across the ocean reached me of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. I was already reading enough hokey material about witches, wizards, elves, and dwarves so I ignored the fervor. One day, ennui overcame me and I reached for the nearest book. It was about Harry Potter, the boy who lived. I began the book and became absorbed in the story. The rest is a continuing history. Just read my earlier blogs. So how does Mormonism and HP relate to each other? Ask my dad that question and he will wave a dismissive hand and say it does not. Ask my sister and she will snort and start blabbing about Percy Jackson. I will answer that there is a connection if you wish to see it. For some there is no connection. However, I think there is a link to Mormonism and to anything that is good or praiseworthy (13th Article of Faith). In the HP series, there are characters who overcome their weaknesses and defeat the evil intentions of Voldy and his followers. It is a dramatic story that anyone who loves good will heartily enjoy because good triumphs; albeit it comes with much sacrifices. It is a heroic tale that I will most likely share in my future hobbit-like home.
How I live my faith:
I strive to live up to the qualities embodied in each Hogwarts house.... Or if all else fails, doing what Jesus would do. (I know that my “What would Harry do?” pins are blasphemous, yet they nicely served the purpose of their existence by keeping my team number (62) pinned to my shorts at the end of the Ragnar race. I will forever be grateful to my WWHD pin.)
