I was tagged by @deedum to take on the challenge of @JonicaBradley to write about Freedom. Years ago, I wrote a blog (as sumanlatik) to express my thoughts on this very subject. Not many would have read - much less remembered - that entry and I believe what I wrote then holds true today... So, I hope it still meets criteria No. 2 of the challenge.
The title of that old post was: Sweet Freedom.
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Only those who have ever been held in bondage - in some form of another - understand what it truly means to be free.
Many people are guilty, myself included, of enjoying freedom yet giving so little thought to what it actually means because we never had to sweat to achieve it. In sum, we are basically free to live our life as we choose, express ourselves with little to no fear of reprisal, explore, create, excel, love, and grow.
Unfortunately, not everyone has that privilege. We only have to look around, read or see that there are those living in our midst who barely scrape by each day (more so because of the pandemic) or worse, are prevented from enjoying such liberties.
It is bondage to have to think of how to provide for the needs of your family every single day so they can survive; to have to rely on others to send your children to school when in truth, it is their right; to have to set aside your most ardent desires in favor of practicalities; to not be given the right to learn and make something of yourself because of gender, class, or beliefs.
For those who have never had to experience such dilemma, be grateful. You have been blessed and protected from the harsh realities of this world. And for every little thing that you enjoy, be humbled. It is the only way to be.
I was struck by the thoughts of a 12-year-old, who was commenting on the protracted hostage situation in Southern Philippines. (It was this that prompted me to write the post). While two of the Red Cross captives have been freed, an Italian volunteer remains in the hands of the terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf. With their bargaining leverage severely undermined, they changed tactics and are now demanding that Mindanao be emancipated from the Philippines in exchange for the release of the kidnapped Red Cross worker.
Regina Martha Lumungsod, who wrote the piece, said in reaction: "Now, isn't that ironic? That some people can take away the freedom of others and ask for their freedom in exchange? There is no way you can solve this with both parties winning. One has to be selfish and the other selfless..."
For someone as young as Regina, it shames me that she can understand and has a better appreciation of societal ills than I do; that she realizes the consequences of acts that should not have happened in the first place.
And what does this all tell us? Freedom always exacts a heavy price. Often, it is life - the taking of it or destroying it. While we can only pray that any such sacrifice to gain freedom does not necessitate extreme measures, we must accept that there are people who give little to no value to the dignity and life of others.
One other article that caught my attention was a piece on Ela Bhatt, who for the last 35 years (at the time the blog was written), has been working to free the poor women of Ahmedabad, India, by providing them with opportunities to gain a sense of dignity and self-respect.
Her Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) has provided capital, marketing avenues, health and life insurance to the underprivileged women of the town. More than the opportunities to learn and earn, Bhatt is extremely proud of how women have found a sense of fulfillment and purpose, which they equate with freedom.
Initially, ambitions were limited to tangibles - money and things to help earn money. When they became empowered enough, they dreamt bigger: for their children to finish school, and to have more comforts in life.
She relates that not long ago, she asked the women of SEWA what freedom meant to them. Some answered it was being able to step out of their homes, others, for their toilets to have doors, having their own money, or something like fresh, clean clothes, or a mobile phone.
But there was one whose answer has become Ms. Bhatt's favorite: "Freedom was looking a policeman in the eye."
Freedom comes in many forms. And some people may not realize it but they may be fighting for their own freedom, perhaps not in the same way as that of the Red Cross worker or the women of Ahmedabad.
But know this, when you have finally won that freedom, remember your fight for it only made it sweeter.
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Lead image: Unsplash
What means freedom for some represents something very painful for others. Slavery is an abominable fact that continues to be exploited today. In many countries where there is talk of freedom I have also read that slavery is practiced with the inclusion of the most defenseless. It is always the thinnest rope that bursts.