the book of questions

i came  across this book by gregory stock called the book of questions. in it he poses 200 questions. it’s not the “hi how are you” questions but rather those that make you pause, think, and rethink your opinion. i decided to answer some of his questions here. i’d like to start a debate so if you feel like commenting please do so. i won’t answer the questions in the order they appear in the book but rather just flip through to see which one comes up. 

So here goes the question: Do you believe in ghosts or evil spirits? Would you be willing to spend a night alone in a remote house that is supposedly haunted?

ok, maybe you are not into the whole ghost thing but i am to a certain extend. i do believe that there are ghosts or spirits but i don’t think they walk around with sheets over their head rattling along. i’d like to think of them as some type of energy that is just there. if it’s a happy sprit, it’s a more positive energy and if the spirit is evil, it carries some negative energy around it. 

though i had encounters where i could swear there was something going on i can not say that i ever saw a ghost or spirit. sometimes i smell things that others don’t and i had this incident where when i was in the states, light bulbs just broke whenever i entered the room. that was pretty freaky and the thing was that i was not happy in that family and wanted to get out but at the same time told myself that this is just a phase and things will get better soon. they never did and eventually i moved into a different family where not a single light bulb broke. i kid you not! this was just the weirdest thing ever.

maybe it’s like voodoo where they say it’s only real if you believe in it. if you think its hogwash then it will never happen to you. 

but because i believe in it i would never stay in a house that i was told is haunted ALL BY MYSELF! i would go in there, for sure, but not over night and certainly not by myself. what would be my business there anyway? 

i saw this tv show once where they had people in an old castle that once belonged to count dracula. they stayed for two nights and had to do some assignments, some as team, some as individual. there was a price for the person who stayed both nights but let me tell you, those people freaked! and left. one by one they did not trust their senses anymore and of course the tv people did their best to stir the fear of the contestants. for every assignment they were briefed and told what had happened in that room or part of the castle. they were never told any fairy tales but rather bloody stories of long past times. the other team members who were not out on the assignment listened in via two-way radio. so not only the person out there got scared but the people in the safe haven as well because of what they heard from the team member, their panic and stuff.

i remember one scene where the goal was to go into a room where a baby was killed and get something that was put in a crib. the contestant was told how the baby had died while making her way to the room. she opened the door and saw a dark large room with a white baby crib in one corner. as soon as she saw it, she flipped and panicked because she thought the crib was moving. it was not but in her mind she was so full of fear that this thing was actually moving. 

she managed to fulfill the task but her team mates, who only heard her and the panic in her voice were really shaken. it was really a crazy show and i think they only did it for one season. 

so i guess what i’m trying to say is that if you believe, there will be something going on. if you are rational chances are that there is no rocking crib and no voodoo and nothing. is life more fun being rational or being a chicken when it comes to dark and death?

see how i got off track? that’s why i love this book and it’s questions. it keeps you thinking… a lot!

more questions to come…

 

another question: do you think that the world will be a better or worse place 100 years from now? 

you know, i’m not really an optimist. i like how some people can see the good side in everything and everyone. and how they never lose trust or faith despite being betrayed. i’m just not like that so i cannot say that i’m positive it will all be better.

i certainly hope that we will understand that we all need to work together for a better good. and that we all need to understand what the real problems are. it’s not about who gets more and more. it is about helping the poorest of the poor. those who cannot help themselves. they don’t need to live a life in luxury all dressed in name brands. what they need, however, is a chance of living. a chance to get nutritious food. a chance to live a life where they don’t need to worry about their safety or where they will get the next meal from. a chance to get education, to learn how to have a better life. 

this is what i hope can be accomplished in the next 100 years. and maybe, just maybe, we all can be smart enough to communicate with each other instead of threatening with force. 

oh yeah, i know what you will say now. hopeless optimistic. i know the odds of this happening. i think the glass is rather empty than full. but if i could decide on what the world should be, this is what i would be hoping for. 

franzi