Sacred Places

Michael Nguyen

HUM2305 What is the Good Life Heckenberger, Russell 18 October, 2012

The space, indicated in blue, is the beach area located in my hometown. People can agree that this area is sacred because it is an area where families and friends can bond and enjoy time with each other. The area in red, located at the northwestern corner of the blue box, is a quasi park area where picnics, concerts, and dances are held. Every Sunday, the area holds a Farmers Market where many of the residents gather to exchange goods. The green area is where another area of high population density. The area is near the beach, and like all beaches, serves as a commonplace for people to enjoy nature. The beach also serves as a location for religious rituals done by the churches nearby. Also, it is a common area for memorials; in the past couple of years there have been a handful of local deaths, especially of young teenagers. My community has honored each deceased person with a type of memorial at sea. Every year the area holds a Tommy Tant surf competition in honor of Tommy Tant after his untimely death. The pier itself, indicated in yellow, is a big attraction to fishers. It also played a large impact on my childhood. I spent almost every night on the pier with my family and I often reminisce about the time I had with my parents. The area in blue serves a large role in my community. It hosts many parts and attracts people of all personalities. There is no symmetrical construction of this sacred place, but it is constructed with the values of family and community. It is very community-friendly. The southwest part of the blue area (not indicated) holds many of the local businesses and restaurant. This area, Flagler Beach, evolved from a small community and continues to grow but holds that warm, neighborly feeling. Although there is no specific symmetrical structure, the area not only has that friendly vibe, but it is very natural. The sand dunes are all natural, and visitors can often spot a variety of creatures, from little hermit crabs to giant sea-turtles. The beach is also a place where many spiritualists come to at the break of dawn to meditate and stretch. This area is not only a meaningful place to the majority of the people in the community, but it is very close to my heart. It is very hard to find someone in the area who does not have some sort of strong tie to this area.