I’ve been MIA||Freedom||Thoughts
Sorry, I’ve been MIA. I’ll definitelly let you know the reason someday. But, I’m back now. Lately, I’ve been put some thought to a word consistently, ‘Freedom’.
So, today I wish to share it with the hope that someone, somewhere will find it relatable.
Let me know your views on this in the comment section below.
Happy reading ;)
Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. It is what most of us think freedom is. When we hear the word “freedom,” we usually think of freedom fighters and soldiers who fought for their country till their last breath. With all due respect to them, today I am going to unfold a different aspect of the word ‘Freedom’ and bring light to its core value.
I wish to start by sharing a short story about a man from the southern part of India. This man, who was poor and old, lived in a village in Tamil Nadu. On the day of 16th August, he was seen passing down the neighborhood streets carrying a sack on his back. His tattered and torn dhoti, wrinkled face, and untidy hair gave him a shabby appearance. He was walking through the neighborhood, occasionally glancing around and sideways, and even intruding into people’s homes as if he were looking for something. Judging by his looks and conspicuous behavior, he aroused suspicion in the villagers’ minds. Ultimately, they caught him and started interrogating him. But no matter what, he kept his mouth shut. This made the villagers think he was a thief, and they started beating him. They snatched the sack from his grip and tore it apart. The villagers were surprised to find a bunch of Indian flags inside his sack! Some were sniggering and mocking him, while others thought he must have lost his mind and continued to bully him into admitting his true intention.
At last, he claimed that he was not stealing anything but rather just gathering the flags that have been thrown away by people or are lying in the streets as he always does the day after Independence Day each year. The villagers, still not convinced by what he said, asked him, “what’s the point?” He refused to speak again. At this point, his dhoti was drenched in blood, and his body was aching beyond compare. But when they threatened to throw him out of their village, he was compelled to open up. He feebly smiled and said, “This is my freedom.”
So, you see, freedom is not about hoisting your nation’s flag once a year and romanticizing those valiant martyrs who gave up their life for the sake of their country. It’s about these little moments, like following your heart’s desire, just like the old man did. He felt that his country’s flags were too precious to be lying on the ground, stomped by the feet of passersby. He didn’t need to explain to others why he believed what he believed. He simply went for it because he knew he had the freedom to do so as a human being.
People only show gratitude toward the thing that they have earned or sacrificed their lives for.
Freedom is not defined by what you can do but by who you are. Freedom is a realization that you are not obliged to anyone or anything. Freedom means standing up for what you believe in. Freedom means daring to live a life you have envisioned for yourself. When you are not concerned by all the worldly materialistic attachments, you get closer to your true self. And when you are closer to your true self, you live a life of pure bliss and joy.
