Liberating my freedom

Not long before we started watching those revolutions take place on our TV sets like a drama series with stars, villains and a great story line. A dear friend, actually a brother asked me a question. What’s my opinion on the difference between Freedom and liberty?

At the first glance I admit that I thought a few searches on Google will give me the answer, but then I realized that it wasn’t so simple after all, A huge discussion revolves around the terminology, some state that the two words are originated from two different backgrounds yet hold the same meaning, others take the discussion further. So for weeks I been thinking about it, for to me they never meant the same, but then how better could I see the meaning behind those words unless I looked at our beloved society, for those words are the motive for millions who walked this earth to pay their blood simply to have them exist!

We were all born free of restrictions, yet as we grow day upon a day we are told of our boundaries, what we are expected to do, our limitations, our reality, we are taught how to read, what to learn, how to interpret, what to wear, how to behave and then one day we wake up and some of what we have learned is imprinted into our memories to the extent that we now believe in it. Others will accept what they are taught in a cowardly manner and blame it on respecting others. Then one day we wake up and now we are told who to marry! What is expected from her or him? Wait a minute, really!!! I wasn’t aware that an entire society was going to share my modest bed with us for the next 40 years. But hey what do I know I am being too disrespectful now, and I should behave in better manners.

But then if you wont give such basic rights to your children, why on Gods earth are you even complaining that you don’t have the freedom to give your vote to a minister, or a president. You want to complain and be heard, yet you have practiced dictatorship on your wife and family since the day you were blessed with little power. Hypocrisy in the making, how better could it be described?

Freedom is a right, and rights are taken and never given. It’s a feature of self expression, talking, contributing, it’s about breaking all walls to the outer society, a demand to be heard and it’s high in price with one end result, Pride.

However to me liberty is what I long for, to me it’s a bigger concept, it’s an internal process. It is to liberate my self from all restrictions, to be able to dream, to be able to choose for my self. It’s a feeling to wake up in the morning feeling that I have a purpose to pursue. To know and understand that my life is mine and not anyone else’s, to never be labeled. Liberty is to not allow my dreams to be raped from me. Liberty is to never tell my self that my dreams are too much to be achieved and that I should be ‘realistic’. Liberty is to ignore your criticism of my madness, your criticism of my vision, your criticism of the path that I have chosen. It’s the immortal determination that will never be defeated even by my own thoughts and experiences. Its to never wake up and say “Stop dreaming and be realistic”. Its to never be a slave of my set limitations.

If freedom is to be able to express ones views and thoughts towards the external society. Then Liberation is to free ones soul from all the restrictions imposed since ones existence. 

4/3/2011 - UK