... follow up

So... I've gotten an intense amount of feedback on the last blog (which is fantastic) about freedom.  I've concluded from everyone's responses, that being free means all sorts of things to different people.  A friend of mine looks at freedom as "being an absence from barriers."-- "I look at life as a game.  And I consider total freedom to be an incredibly lame game.  If I had total freedom, the first thing I would do is set up barriers to make things more interesting."  

Another friend of mind kinda talked to me about how I related being free to love.  She thinks people will never truly know how to love, because to love people is more than just loving those who will love you back... or even accept the love you give out.

Looking at both of these responses, it's pretty clear, that to have freedom... one can't just have a blissful walk-in-the-park life full of rainbows and smiley faces.  Maybe a part of freedom does come from the challenges life brings, and the people providing some of those challenges.  Sure, it is easy to love when that person wants it, or even wants to give it back.  But what about those who don't.  We can't just live in this bubble letting only equally happy people inside and shutting out the rest.  

My friend also mentioned that sometimes people may want to be and feel free so much, that they don't realize when they actually are.  They're constantly looking for something more, something better... so what they already have seems like nothing.  "We are chained by invisible chains... we walk freely behind mobilized bars."

I think the biggest challenge holding people back from experiencing freedom is themselves, and their "chains".  I'm going to quote the inspiration behind this blog by saying, "So let go, just get in, oh it's so amazing here.  It's alright, 'cause there's beauty in the breakdown."  The "barriers" in the "game" provide the challenges in life.  It's when people learn to "let go" that they start playing.  No matter what the outcome, beauty lurks not far behind.

So... I guess to conclude, I think the hardest part of freedom is being able to let go, to love regardless of whether or not that love will be accepted, and to take the first steps in a risk without knowing the outcome.  Okay, so being free might look like shit sometimes.  But accepting that pile of crap life throws at us all the time, and moving on with grace... there's some kind of freeing reward in that... we just have to see it.

**thanks ryan and teez. :)