Roberto Clemente... HUFFLEPUFF!

Epiphany of the day: I am either a Slytherin disguised as a Hufflepuff or I am a monkey's uncle. How in Hades did this epiphany strike? That is a topic for another post, but the most straightforward answer is that Christina Stuetz exclaimed it during a conversation. For now, I am compelled to share my sorting of favorite famous people into the Hogwarts houses. I blame a few people for putting me into this frame of mind. I have been bombarded with this one question over the past two weeks, “Xazmin, which house do I belong to?” Me, being the friendly Hufflepuff-looking person I am, will typically mull on the decision, chat with the person to take into account their desire, sometimes sleep on it, and then spit out the house name to the seeker. It’s quite the entertainment for both parties. Anywho, I am in the mood to write and here I go with sorting some of my favorite famous people, courtesy of one of my favorite books in my library, HEROES FOR MY SON by Brad Meltzer. 

Gryffindor values courage, bravery, loyalty, nerve and chivalry.

Miep Gies, Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman, Harry Houdini, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Pele, Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi

[Blue font: a spiel on at least one person of the house]

Miep Gies: lawbreaker

According to the research conducted by Meltzer, Miep broke the law by hiding Ann Frank's family for two years. She was an assistant to Ann's father, Otto Frank. Not only did she aid them in their concealment, but she provided the family with food and other necessities. It was a brave feat that she sustained even after the Nazi's discovered the family. She was loyal to them and did not deny her role in helping them. She was asked to not return, yet she did!  When she returned she found a diary and placed it safely in a drawer. When Otto Frank returned after the war, Miep "relinquished her charge as caretaker and gave Otto the diary of his daughter, Anne Frank."

Wow, right?! That's what I say to myself whenever I read something about anyone listed in the book or that I learn about in my own searches. The people I have identified as Gryffindor have a lot of chutzpah. I love it that Nelson Mandela’s given name, Rolihlahla, literally means “troublemaker” in English. These people defied custom, the norm, the ‘man’ with a bravery that encompasses a spectrum from the quiet, yet immensely intense courage from the likes of Jesse Owens to a loud lion-like roar of bravery from Gandhi. These people were no doubt courageous. Their actions, words, and accomplishments are evident of it.

Ravenclaw values intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit.

Albert Einstein, The Wright Brothers, Dr. Seuss, Charlie Chaplin, John Lennon, Lucille Ball, Frederick Douglas, Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson: architect, author of the Declaration of Independence, Thinker, President

American history is rife with disturbing accounts and ridiculous stories of vice, but it also has a wealth of wonderful stories that promise hope and contentment. In fact, the dream of a prosperous future is a defining characteristic of American history and identity (as taught in the American education system... or Page Unified School District). The beginnings of its history is a fascinating area of study. Meltzer researched Thomas Jefferson, who at 33 years old, wrote the underlying principles for a new American government. In the solitude of a rented room in Philadelphia, he grasped the enormity of his task. Meltzer writes, "unlike every nation before it, this country's heart would not beat with the blood of royal lines.' This would be a nation based on ideals. The Declaration of Independence became the greatest decree in Western civilization."

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” –TJ

Jimminy Cricket! I can’t help but snap my fingers for a good ten seconds whenever and wherever I read this quote... believe you me, I have written it on random sheets of paper in my messy room for the purpose of finding ways to grin like an idiot at its cleverness. Despite my nonchalance with the House of Ravenclaw, I do respect and highly value their characteristics. I think artists and bright men and women of science fit quite nicely into this house. 

Hufflepuff values hard work, tolerance, loyalty, and fair play.

Mr. Rogers, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, Roberto Clemente, Jonas Salk, Norman Borlaug, Anne Sullivan, Neil Armstrong, Paul Newman, Clara Hale, Lou Gehrig, Chelsey B. Sullenberger III, Eleanor Roosevelt

Norman Borlaug: scientist, “Father of the Green Revolution”

This is one guy I did not know about until I read the book. And then one day, I'm reading an email from the University of Minnesota about some celebration of someone or something. As I scan through the email, I recognize Norman Borlaug's name. Meltzer's research was right on! Without further adieu... I present to you highlights of the man's life. After graduating with his Ph.D from the University of Minnesota in 1942, Borlaug moved to Mexico where he worked in the wheat fields and alongside farmers to develop 'high-yielding, disease resistant crops'. He basically figured out how to grow more food, which prevented approximately one million people from starving. He then journeyed to India, then China, and ultimately Africa, where this pattern of saving lives continued. As Meltzer puts it, "By the time he returned home to the US, he had prevented one billion men, women, and children from dying of starvation—saving more people than anyone in human history."

“You can’t build a peaceful world on empty stomachs and human misery.” –NB

MIND BLOWING, right?! Most scientists are in Hufflepuff house because we work our tails off. No biggie. Ha. On a more serious side (if it is even possible to take me seriously with this post...), I have sorted some cool baseball players into this house, like Roberto and Lou because these guys were philanthropists (e.g. Clemente who is quoted as saying: “If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this Earth”) and legends (Gehrig never missed a single game for 13 seasons, which translates to more than 2000 games in a row! What stopped him? A fatal disease that once caused his back to spasm so badly, he had to be carried off the field. His nickname was “the Iron Horse”, yet he obviously wasn’t made of iron. He was a human being. He just didn’t let that stop him.... Yes I am super biased in my opinion of Hufflepuff and Slytherin House, below.

Slytherin house values ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness.

Amelia Earhart, Bella Abzug, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Twain, Eli Segal, Muhammad Ali, Steven Spielberg, Jim Henson

Jim Henson: dreamer, creator of Kermit the Frog and the Muppets

To quickly paraphrase Meltzer, Jim Henson did not intend to be a puppeteer. He just wanted to work in TV. At the young age of 17, he applied for a job at his local TV station and was rejected. Fortunately, while he was there he saw a sign requesting a puppeteer. Being the pragmatic boy he was, he went to the library and checked out a book on puppetry, made some puppets, and returned to the station. "They gave him five minutes. It was all he needed." :)

But green’s the color of spring

And green can be cool and friendly-like

And green can be big like an ocean

Or important like a mountain

Or tall like a tree.

-Kermit the Frog

HA! How resourceful can one get? Blimey! Who wants to be part of this house now that you know Kermit’s creator can write odes to the house of Slytherin! At least to the color green, which is one half of that house’s color. I want to highlight one particular person, Bella Abzug, who is one of my heroes. This woman was a warrior. She was a congresswoman, defense attorney, and leader of the women’s rights movement. Ambitious? Yes!  Leader? Yes! Resourceful? Absolutely.