Leris Reading

1. "It was the very secrecy of our meetings that was most clearly marked by the sacred."
   Leris means that sacred is different to each individual. Sacred most certainly does not only apply to religions, beliefs, morals, etc. For Leris, his playtime in the family bathroom with his siblings was sacred for him, the secrecy was something special...something unusual, something that he held dear. In his own words, it was something that"awoke in him the mixture of fear and attachment, that ambiguous attitude cause by the approach of something simultaneously attractive and dangerous, prestigious and outdcast--that combination of respect, desire and terror that we all take as a psychological sign of the sacred" (The Sacred in Everyday Life, p. 24).
2. To be honest, I can't put my finger on quite what he is describing when he talks about this ill-defined space. I'm imagining sketchy people lurking between buildings, or a bad park in a bad neighborhood. Yes, I had a few of such landmarks, but not many growing up. There was an area of town, however, where I was not allowed to go unless I was with my parents--a few blocks where the majority of the tenants of the apartment buildings were drug users or criminals. Back then, I just knew it as the place I stayed away from...never really asking questions. As I got older, I tested my boundaries, but it remained uncomfortable for me to be near the area. Now, I when I visit home, I see why my mother kept me away from there growing up--but I've come to realize that the people that live there and lurk there aren't nearly as bad as people seem to think. They're only bad for a small midwestern town.
3. "Rebecca" took on a biblical meaning for Leris. When he hears "Rebecca" he automatically thinks of a goddess-like woman, bronze, clothed in a tunic and veil. The way the word rolls off the tongue when spoken make him feel like it was split between something sweet and spicy, and something hard and unyielding.
4. Yes, I think they would both agree that self-reflection and confrontation is worth it. I, personally, think it's worth it. I had always taken a little time here and there to do some self-reflection, but it wasn't until late June of this year that I sat down and seriously reflected on who I am, what makes me who I am, what I'm doing now, and where I want to go with my life. After some serious contemplation and reflection, I've established a firmer grasp on who I am, and why--and what I need to do to accomplish my goals in life. Deeper self-reflection and the confrontation of the battles I've chosen not to pick with myself, however, is something I'm still trying to tackle. Knowing that I will have to completely break myself down to build myself back up again scares the bejesus out of me, although I know after-the-fact, it would be entirely worth it.