© AnElephantCant

Golly, did I hear you say you would be free if you could?
— Gussy the Goose, Charlotte’s Web (2006)

Would you be free? What does that mean? Does it mean doing what you like, when you like, without regard to others? Don’t our families, our culture and our governments all impose restraints on us every day?

Definition of Freedom, n,
the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.
Merriam-Webster

If being free means leaving my home behind, shirking my responsibilities, letting others carry my burdens, then I don’t think I would be free.

home and hearth
heart beats for my family
magic ties that bind

Others talk about freedom in the governmental sense, freedom from tyranny, enslavement, unjust punishments, torture, abuse, theft and many countless other miseries. We all give up certain rights to our governments, and we want some return on that investment. If we give up so many rights and a percentage of our income, then we should get some benefits: safety, security, peace, prosperity and freedom from abuses, these are some basics people want.

freedom from tyranny
safe homes in an unspoiled land
sunshine and clean water

That is a freedom I want for everyone: to have clean water, a safe home, healthy nature nearby, no one afraid to be killed for speaking one’s thoughts. I want a world like that for my children and their children. For you and your children, too. If we all have respect for each other, perhaps we can manage that.

healthy air to breathe
nature’s abundance for all
garden in sunshine

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Inspired by Haibun Thinking Week #9, a film quote and photo from AnElephantCant.

References: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedom