Alan Warden- Landscapes of the Sacred #2

The second axiom states that "sacred place is very often ordinary place, ritually set apart to become extraordinary." This statement holds true for many aspects of the american culture. For Muslims, a ordinary place can become sacred for their daily prayer. A buddhist can turn a room into their holy place of worship as well. My grandmother, my mom's mom is a devoted buddhist, she has her special room that no one can enter that isn't a buddhist. She has her candles and incense set up to burn during her rituals. The most ordinary, common places can be sacred by simply practicing your religious beliefs there. I will now tell you of a sanctuary that is not commonly recognized, and many people will disagree with me in my assessment. American culture is crazy about sports, to every football fan or player, the football field or stadium is sacred. When i was playing football those friday nights under the lights, with screaming fans, that was a "sacred" event. To be able to battle with your teammates on that field, knowing nothing else mattered, that was truly special to me. Every friday night, thousands of loyal fans, who truly believed in their team would come out. A ritualized event, an ordinary event, a football game, but through the fans and players became more than just a game. Many believe that these crazed fans and players are silly for their passion. My take on it is that some have their religious texts or scripts, some have that holy site of significance, football players and fans have the field. Its their place to come and feel piece of mind, to feel nothing but pride for their team. That sacred place for every fan to come and enjoy a sport, a lifestyle, a place to be accepted for the ability to hit harder or be stronger. It is a place that for me is more than a patch of grass, its a place of solitude and safety. My "sacred place" that escapes me from the harsh reality that a paper is due or i just failed a test. Football for me is more than a game, its part of who i am. It taught me discipline, accountability, commitment, many valuable skills in life. So for me the definition of a sacred place is simply a place you can feel accepted or feel safe, a place where you can express yourself and passions, that is what makes a football field sacred to me.