"Celebrate Good Times...C'mon"...
"The land of the free and the home, of the, Brave"...
"Put on your red, white & blue. There's life at both ends of that red dirt road"...
"Cut a rug with your tight Wranglers on"...
I hope all of you had a fantastic 4th of July! I hope you all enjoyed cookouts fit with Grills, Smokers and meats-a-many in every backyard across America. If BBQ's aren't your "cup of tea", I hope you enjoyed catered events with tray-passed delicious crostini topped with an abundant variety of tapenade. Whether you were on rooftop terraces, at city/town parks, on decks throughout the USA, or at a number of any other venues. I hope you were surrounded by the ones you love, and held the spirit of loved one far away in your hearts.
As another year passes, and the seasons change, I encounter more questions about my life. Not only my life, but about life in general. The thought I continually ponder is; Are we ever truly free?
No matter what stage of life we are currently in, there are always difficulties and challenges we will encounter. Once we jump one hurdle another will certainly come along. We live as a free nation, but within ourselves, how much freedom do we truly possess? As children we are restricted by our parents, school, curfews, and our age. From adolescence to adulthood, the number of obstacles that hinder our freedom only increase. In addition to the daily struggles I mentioned before we can add on many more tedious and taxing attributes of life, such as; work, finances, kids, health, etc...
I am in no way saying we should be a bunch of wandering bafoons or Neanderthal-esque drifters. We are all responsible for our own lives and each facet that makes up who we are. I do feel we need to give ourselves a little more slack on the "leash of life". Most of us live a life that is so tightly wound and stressful, it is difficult to feel very free. More often than not I feel trapped within my own life. There are many times I want to quit. When I feel that I can no longer go on my mind always goes to Robert Frost and the poem I view as my own personal mantra. Specifically the line that reads:
"I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over"I cannot even begin to think of the number of times I have reflected on my life and it has brought me to "Birches" by Frost. That line, specifically, stands out to me. Those times I feel hopeless, I take time to myself and find a way to escape. At this time in my life, I find my release through reading and writing. Those activities allow me to let go of all of my troubles for a while and clear my head. I can then return to reality with renewed strength and a clearer mindset. On the "remote of life", reading and writing is my "pause" button. Time keeps on ticking and the minutes pass, but reading/writing can give me the break I need to recharge. I am happy we are able to celebrate America's freedom each year, but most days, I have trouble believing in, or feeling free when life has beaten me down so much. This may sound extremely selfish, but I have been, all too often, jilted by life. These thoughts may affect my life daily, and I may dwell on the negative too much at times, but as long as I maintain hope I will never give in. As long as I have people in my life I love so fiercely and that love me back just as much, I will not stop fighting. Lastly, as long as I have a place to retreat to when life becomes unbearable, I will be free.Happy Independence Day!
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