A Personal Journey

“KNOW THY SELF” A touching story about self discovery and faith
As you enter the room it seems to be chaos. There is a gnome with a yellow pointy hat and an orange top in a corner; there are drinking glasses on the window pain; there is a surfboard lying next to the wall behind the bed; the desk is covered with books and what at the beginning appears to be a hat flowing in the air but then you soon realize that it is on a jewelry stand; the cupboards are open giving a view of many colourful tops and hats, the shelf is filled with countless books. Her board is covered with notes, timetables and pictures, but no one can miss the large poster that says “Footprints”. As you begin to read the writing underneath you begin to realize what it is that makes you feel relaxed and calm in all this chaos.
‘Footprints’ is a poem about a person walking on a beach with God, and looking back on their life. The person notices that during the trying times, there appears to have been one set of footprints and not two. The person then proceeds to ask God why at these times he was not there, and the Lord answers that at those times was when God carried him or her. Courtney B then looks at the poster and says how important that poem is to her and more importantly, how her faith is what makes her life make sense “I guess I was searching for something and I found it.”
Coming from a background with no Christian affiliations it was hard for her to practice her religion and to do what she felt was right for her “I had to choose between what my family believed in and what I believed in.” She started getting involved with Christian groups and going to church by herself regularly from grade ten. Her family did not support her but eventually became accustomed to the idea. As her faith grew she began to discover more about herself and to become secure in who she was “You’ve got to know yourself”, but she still had to face the challenge of Rhodes University “The city of the devil”.
Upon arriving at Rhodes she admits that she was scared. She was confident in herself and her faith but did not know what to expect “I felt way out of my depth.” That did not stop her however from becoming an involved member at the university. She joined three societies including the African Drum Society and on top of her work schedule, she manages to go to church every Sunday “I feel like I’m stronger now,” and she is no longer scared to be herself “If I speak about my religion in public and someone frowns, I don’t mind anymore.”
She lives by the philosophy “Let the world feel the weight of who you are and let them deal with it.” She loves nature and colour, her favourite colour is white because reflected it shows all the colours of the rainbow. She has made a home for herself in what they call “the city of the devil” and she has influenced those around her to do the same “Don’t loose yourself, figuratively and literally, where you come from, who you are, and what you want.”