Freedom, just another word...

I don't usually get philosophical on my blog. I guess I'm not that deep. But this one just struck me and seemed to build on itself, so here it goes.

Last week, I was getting my snow tires taken off the car. Okay, it's June and it was 32 degrees Celsius, 40 with the humidity, so I figured it was time. I had time to kill so I walked over to Timmy's for a steeped tea. There was a woman there who came and sat near me. She was singing and dancing to the music on the radio and getting strange looks from other customers. And I thought, how sad, that we're so afraid to break into song like they do on "Glee" or those old school musicals. But this woman didn't care and I was a little jealous. 

Many times when I'm walking the dog and a really catchy tune shuffles through my headphones, I've often felt like dancing a little "Hippy, Hippy Shake" or singing along with Green Day on "Good Riddance". And, I'll admit it, sometimes I do. I mean, it's hard not to Shake when Teenage Head ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeCGtWaWwBk ) tells you to. And when I sing along with Metric on "Gold Guns Girls", I've certainly earned some odd looks. I guess it's okay if you're in an iPod TV spot but not so much if you're just walking down the street. Which got me to wondering ... is this freedom .. to sing out loud and dance to a tune without caring who sees?

That same day, I drove to Niagara Falls for a job interview. It was freaking hot in the car (I refuse to turn on the air conditioning -- I'll be cold in the winter, thank you very much) so I drove down in shorts and a tank and changed into my suit and heels in the parking lot before my meeting. When I was done, I hopped in the car and drove to my sisters' cottage in Crystal Beach. I had the place to myself so I threw on my bathing suit and went for a quick dip. It was quiet at the beach and, after cooling myself off in the lake, I laid on the beach in the sun and had a quick cat nap. It was so relaxing and I thought, "ahhh, now this is freedom".

I guess there are many concepts of freedom. We refer to North America as part of the free world. But is it really free? I mean, when you're a baby, you're free to do what you want. You can eat, sleep, burp, puke and fill your diaper whenever you want . However, you rely on other people for your very survival. And the older you are, the less freedom you have to do what you want. Eventually, you have school, then work, marriage, kids, bills to pay, etc. When you get older, you get to do some of those things you did as a baby but, if you do it too much, someone will put you in a nursing home and you'll lose your freedom all together. Isn't that depressing!

I think one of the best examples I have of mature freedom is my grandmother. In her 80s, she traveled all over the place - sometimes by herself and sometimes with others. She'd pull out her harmonica and entertain a bus full of people on a trip to wherever she was going. She always danced to the "chicken dance" and she was never one to turn down a cold beer. Her children were all grown and had families of their own and she kept a nightgown and slippers with all her grandchildren so she could drop in and sleep over at a moment's notice. One day, I want to be just like her but I've got a few more years to go before I get there. And I have to learn to play the harmonica.

Is freedom just another word for nothing left to lose? It didn't work out so well for Janis Joplin. Or should we be footloose and fancy free (I'm not sure what that really means but if you google it, you'll get photos of Rod Stewart and naked men)? We all get our share of "free" time which seems to be those precious moments in your day when the demands of work, family, friends, etc. are absent. It's a time when you get to choose what to do with yourself -- whether it's lying on a beach or playing a video game. What do I do? I sweat, swear and generally beat myself up by playing in my garden.

Like you didn't know that was coming. Enjoy your weekend and your freedom. And my iris pics.