Tuesday, August 25, 2009

"Freedom's just another word..."

I was thinking about "Freedom,"and what that concept means to me now.
It has meant different things to me throughout my life, depending on my then-current situation. Back in the late 60's, when my dad taught me all of the lyrics to Kris Kristofferson's first album, freedom was something people sang about, and I was still just a kid, but from things I would see on TV or hear in songs, I figured "freedom" had something to do with motorcycles and long hair.
In the 70's, when I was going through high school and thinking about the future, "freedom" was the concept by which I dreamt about what the future may hold someplace other than "here."
During the years I worked and raised a family, "freedom" was something I blithely took for granted, making my decisions and mistakes as I went, no one judging how I did it.
These days, I look back on Kristofferson's lyric, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose" to describe what it's like to be without a driver's license, unable to rollerskate, or play with my grandkids the way I would like, outside and running around with no restraint.
"Nothing left to lose" is what happens when depression grabs you, and it's hard to see the light.
But somehow, I keep lookin' up.

2 comments:

sunnflowergardens said...
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Anonymous said...

I am sitting here at the computer and thinking about freedom. The only thing that comes to mind for me is that it is elusive. It is always just out of reach, you stretch your hand out to catch it and it is just off your fingertips. A dream.