by Liz Moore

Created on: June 20, 2010

In the words of the song, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."  (Fred L. Foster, Kris Kristofferson: Me & Bobby McGee).

Freedom means many different things to different people.  Some may follow the "nothing left to lose" philosophy after having a life-changing experience, such as a brush with death.  When a person has faced the ultimate conclusion of life, mortality, everything else may seem inconsequential so they feel more free to do and be what they want.  Near death seems to be to be a very freeing experience.  A person who has had a near-death experience may become more involved in the process of living to the point where they feel a freedom from fear and worry.  They may feel freer to follow their dreams because they have come to the realization that life can be whatever they'd like it to be. 

A person who has received the diagnosis of a terminal illness may also feel the same way.  While they may feel trapped or limited by the diagnosis, they may also come to find that they really want to go out and experience all the things they may have thought they would get to some day.  People who know they have a limited amount of some days left will often allow themselves the freedom to do and be what they've always wanted.

Most of us don't feel a sense of freedom throughout the course of our day-to-day lives.  We may feel trapped in a relationship, job, socioeconomic standing or the physical limitations of our body or mind.  We don't feel we can do whatever we'd like to do because we have responsibilities to our families, friends, co-workers and neighbors.  What we don't realize is that we also have a responsibility to ourselves to be happy and healthy.  Most of us, unlike people who have or are facing their own mortality, don't feel we have the freedom to be happy.

For me, freedom is the ability to be happy.  Freedom doesn't mean that we can go out and do whatever we'd like whenever we'd like because our actions affect others.  We are free to do and be what we want as long as we take into account the fact that our decisions may have consequences.  Freedom may mean nothing is left to lose for one person, but the decisions made by that person may mean that others cannot experience their own freedom, so in the long run that is not true freedom.

Yes, I believe freedom exists.  I also believe all people should be allowed their freedom.  Yet I also believe that freedom comes with a price.  To be truly free, we all need to be willing to make the personal sacrifices that allow others to be free as well.

That's good enough for Me & Bobby McGee.

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