Freedom is something that has as many definitions as people who might proclaim it. For the prisoner, like friends I have know who have been a prisoner of one sort or another, freedom might be the ability to just walk unencumbered from shackles or confined space, to someone else like me, it might be represented within the feelings found on open water and the wind in my sails or in the seat of my motorcycle, to a small child, it might simply mean permission to enjoy an ice cream cone. It seems the amount of freedom we need, is related to the amount we already have.
The world, statistically, by any measure is in our current age, more free, more peaceful and 'safer' than in any other time in history. With a 24/7 media culture streaming into our consciousness, sometimes our 'gut' seems to indicated otherwise, but per capita, we are living in a unique place in the history of mankind in which freedom, security as nations and as individuals is as great as it has ever been as is our ability to travel to most parts of the world and safely enjoy fellowship with people of cultures vastly different from our own. Even in my younger globe trotting years, this freedom was already in place for me and it is greater now still for so many more.
Even so, for some people, freedom is still elusive and there are many who still yearn for it. Amazingly, yet others, squander it away without any thought. It is that while one would use their freedom to only gain control and restrict others, others would give it up in submission to be held in love. But if freedom is granted in power, it is also in weakness. I heard a quote the other day that struck me... "The strong man who already knows power, upon gaining more, learns to abuse it, but the weak man who newly gains power has the perspective of compassion to use it wisely." Never having been the physical 'strong man' among my peers, I would hope I would use the freedom I find in it for peace.
In looking at freedom today as I celebrate this particular Memorial day here in the U.S., to me it represents more than just my personal freedom. Although this week has been a small but significant shift for me in losing my restrictive neck collar, graduating towards normalcy again...freedom is still more. It is not even solely about cherishing the ability to live where and how I chose, but is more about our freedom and sense of peace that we enjoy as a nation. This did not come 'free' in any sense, but was drawn from the courage and sacrifice and risk our founding citizens took on to forge us as one and was paid for in the many wars, external and inside our borders that allows us that peace today. It was sealed again and again with the real blood of those who found their death in another land, in a way I am sure they did not envision, perhaps alone, or among new friends enjoined into the defense of our peace, but the cost was very high. This freedom costs the few everything... given for the many. There surely is no greater sacrifice to give than one's life for another's freedom.
The flag photos shown here were shot today at our family home on the New Jersey Coastline, a place I found freedom as a youth and after a two year storm damaged absence, did again today. It was a gift from my own Grandfathers service in WWII. As a verteran myself, I will say am proud to fly our nations flag, still choke up when singing the National Anthem and am humbly grateful to those who have gone before to allow me to do just that.
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