by Shaheen Darr

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: August 23, 2011

'Free' in everyday language means something that has not been paid for as no money has been exchanged to receive it. It has either been given as a gift or it has been won. This is the context in which the word can be analysed. I will try and list the things in life that are really free for everyone of us, no matter who we are or where we are in this world.

Human beings have been born with the intrinsic quality of giving and receiving love. This can be the love of a parent, love for your siblings, love for your friends or love for your partner. It is said that love is one thing that is free of charge and increases the more you spend it. To receive and give love is a free gift given to mankind and if it is reciprocated then it is one of the best gifts that you can have. In an ideal world no material gain can be associated with giving and receiving love, it cannot be bought or sold at a price. Other actions that are performed with a similar spirit can also be classified as 'free' because people do these without expectations of any sort. These would be actions that are voluntary or charitable in nature, kindness towards other people and the like. These are actions that are taken for others from the kindness of the heart and are free of any monetary gain.

There has been no politician clever enough to tax us on the air we breathe! I doubt that this will ever happen because breathing air is the best thing that we have and it is free for all no matter where we are. There is nothing more wonderful than waking up to a beautiful morning, opening a window and breathing in fresh air. This is another free gift for us all that we use every second of our lives without even giving it a second thought.

Some of the natural scenery we enjoy in our lives, whether it is a walk in the park or seeing the views as you drive past beautiful parts of a country, is another free gift available to us all. These scenic gifts are unique to every country and no matter how poor or deprived a community there is always some natural views that they are free to behold and admire.

I would add to this the animals and birds that still roam free in their natural habitat and these can be studied and admired by anyone who is curious enough to do so. Therefore, how can we forget this flora and fauna of an area, a colourful free gift given to us all.

In conclusion, I would also like to add that our democratic, free thinking minds should in an ideal world have been free and uncorrupted. We would have then made unselfish decisions for ourselves and others, lived our lives in the best possible ways and treated our environment with the care and respect that it deserved. Best of all we would have learnt to treat other human beings with love and respect no matter what their race or religion. Our minds then would have been truly 'free' in the true sense of the word. Expectation of material gains and sheer selfish gain has turned human beings into exploiting, cruel and selfish characters, mere caricatures of who we were actually meant to be, "free" thinking individuals.

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