Sacred spaces are different for everyone. Personally, when I think of a sacred space, I think of a space where I can officially be at peace with anything and everything. When one sees the word 'sacred', they might assume that it has some sort of religious affiliation, I personally always did. I have never been the religious type. I was brought up in a household where God simply did not exist, and that there was no such thing as a 'higher power'. However, just because I was brought up not practicing or following any sort of religious belief, does not mean that I am a close-minded individual when it comes to the the study of religion.
When I think of a sacred space, I think of the loft in my woodshed. It sounds extremely bizarre, but I used to spend hours up there sitting on the window sill that looked out into my backyard. I used to read books and (attempt) to draw pictures. I always felt at peace when I was there. I hadn't gone up there in several years, for I thought I outgrew it-- it was something I used as a child to hangout and be alone. Toward the middle of this year, around Thanksgiving and into winter break, all I wanted to do was be completely alone. I didn't want anyone to bother me. When I got home from school one afternoon, feeling tired and detached, I immediately remembered the loft. It was November, so the weather was less than desirable, but I didn't mind. The brisk air felt nice and refreshing. I brought one of my all-time favorite novels up there with me, The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald. When I climbed the rickety steps up to the loft, I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I felt like a little kid again. I spent almost the entire afternoon and early evening up there, reading and remembering all that was important to me.
The aborigines saw their caves as sacred spaces. They put the bones of their deceased loved ones in them. The loft was like my cave. It felt just right. For the next three months I spent nearly every afternoon up in the loft (unless the weather was bad or it was freezing outside). Even lately I have been going up there every once and a while. I think it'll always be a sacred spot of mine.
Wow Mariah, this is wonderful writing and thought progression! Wonderful enough to make me want to dance, boogie even. Your open-mindedness of religion and the existence of a holy power is admiring. Like you said, one's sacred place is different than someone elses, and if he believes God or anyone else can be reached from this place, then amen to that! Also, when reading your middle paragraph I can imagine it in a published book! It is great writing. I agree that when times get rough and you feel detached, there has to be that sacred place to run to to feel better and regain a composed character. I think that the loft, or any sacred place for that matter, doesn't get old though, and that no matter the age someone can go to a previous or even new place and call it a sacred place of his own.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you interpreted sacred space. It really got me thinking about how different everyone thinks about it. I loved how you incorporated the Aborigines to make a really solid point. Coming from a religious background I like seeing non-religious people's ideas and yours was extremely fascinating. You also made your blog more story-like than formal and I really enjoyed that. Overall great job!
ReplyDeleteGood post! I agree with your point about the consistency and stability of sacred space. Though we become older and more mature, and our interests and priorities shift, it remains steadfast, ready for us whenever we need it. We may have different feelings about it on the surface, but at the deepest levels, we still find the comfort and solace that we have always experienced. Another thing happens to us as we age; we realize that our sacred place need not be confined to a single location. We notice that where ever we are, we can find areas that give us a similar feeling if we look hard enough. This is enormously freeing, as this knowledge eases some anxieties and stress involved in living in new places. Good Job!
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