Is There Really Such A Thing As Freedom?

Is There Really Any Such Thing As Freedom?
What exactly does the word freedom mean?Here are a few definitions for you to consider.1.the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint. 2.exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc. 3.political or national independence.Talk about painting with a broad brush!And before we go farther with this topic,I have a question for you.Are you really free?
Freedom has so many different meanings it is staggering to consider them all.To a baby, freedom means being able to crawl around on the floor exploring every nook and cranny.To a 12 year boy it might mean being free to stay up and watch all of the Monday Night football game .To a 12 year old girl,perhaps freedom is getting to use mom's lipstick and make up.To a convict freedom is defined by the desire to get out of jail.Freedom is living in a country where one can vote based upon their convictions without pressure from any group.To a drug addict freedom is finding the next high no matter the cost.To the teenager it's the desire to do one's own thing.Any of you remember praying for age 18 to hurry and get here?My goodness.Now I have cowboy boots over 18 years old! Time flies! The couple cheating on their spouses want the freedom to continue (without getting caught).On and on the list goes.I could write forever.Even my beloved Pug thinks he wants freedom to run free.Forget the house he lives in that is heated in the winter,air conditioned in the summer,2 meals a day,a bed to sleep on, and a master he thinks he owns! He just wants me to forget and leave the gate open for one second and off he goes! Where to nobody knows!Permit me to mention a few more.The sick long for freedom from pain, both physical and mental.Some husbands long for freedom from a nagging wife.Many wives or girl friends seekfreedom from an abusive relationship.OK.Enough already! Is anyone really free?Oh,I can here the preachers,new -agers,Buddhists,Mormon's,etc, all getting their pencils sharpened to write me with the latest for being free.At present I am following Dave Ramsey's plan for becoming debt free.Man.All this freedom is wearing me out.Yes, to just be free again.Sounds like a plan to me.But wait!There is a problem with and a price to pay for all this freedom.By the way,I think it's a crime the oil companies and speculators,and others can raise gas prices over $4 a gallon.Yes, there is a problem with freedom.The little baby cannot be free to explore just anywhere and everything! That is crazy huh? I recall as a 12 year old boy growing up dirt poor,dad would let me stay up and watch the football game.But , oh the price I paid the next day in school.It wasn't safe to fall asleep in class in the 60's.In fact, it could be hazardous to one's health!Oh how I hated getting a whipping from the teacher and going back to my desk and trying to slowly set down without letting the girls see a tera in my eye.Talk about abuse! Two young lovers feel free to do as they please when alone,only to find out years later,their are consequences to their actions.I am still paying for some of the stupid things I did as a teenager.And how about the couple having the affair? Are they free? Have they found the true meaning of freedom? Hm. Maybe.Perhaps.But not really.In seeking freedom from the restraints of marriage they have only placed themselves under bondage and fear.Kinda like the convict who finally manages to escape from his jail cell.Freedom?I think not! Even if he or she serves their sentence and is set "free",they pay a high price for the crimes committed.I can recall when the seat belt law first went into effect in North Carolina.Wow.Wr were upset.How dare the state tell us we must wear a seat belt!Now years later I for one am glad they passes such a law.Many lifes have been saved as a result.One of my heros is the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.What I wouldn't give to see the black number 3 on the track again.Dale was free to wear an open face helmet and loosen his seatbelt.That didn't cause his death.However.As a result of his death, Nascar now has strict regulations concerning safety,softer walls,safer cars,head restraints,etc.But does anyone remember Tony Stewart saying he would never wear the new helmets? He is glad he did now! Yes ,freedom carries a high price tag.God bless the soldiers and their families for the sacrifice they make for our nation's freedom.When one is young the idea of freedom is being on one's own,doing as I please,nobody giving me orders.Reminds me of the young man who angerly told his mom and dad ,"I am tired of being told what to do.I will just go join the Marines! Ha! The day I turned 18 I went to work 40 hours a week while in my senior year of high school.Man , I was free! Whoopee! Oops....Wait..Man it got tough working in that hot and nasty plant every-night and going to school everyday.But I was free!Yes,there really is a problem with freedom my friend.You are free huh? I would love to see the look on your face when your property tax bill arrives in the mail.Oh and God forbid we forget April 15th! So the next time you get in your vehicle and go fill it up with $4 a gallon gas, and take a trip with the family to the amusement park,or for a picnic, just remember.Along with freedom comes great responsibility and costs.I will try to remind myself of that truth as i fuss all the way to the voting booth this November.God bless our soldiers and those that have given their life's , and their families.Thank you all for the freedom we enjoy as Americans.