RSS
People sometimes tell me I’m crazy. Alright, not sometimes. Just about everyday someone says to me “Ian, you’re crazy.” They want to know why I do the things I do. Sometimes it’s like they’re saying to themselves “What? You can’t do that! You can’t say that!”
You can.
America is supposed to be a free country, isn’t it? I live in it that way.
Observe our national anthem. Toward the end, after describing the rocket’s red glare and bombs bursting in air and and how cool it was that we kicked British ass and sent them back across the Atlantic with their class system and bad teeth, it says something important: this is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
This is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Is it?
Whether or not America really is the land of the free and home of the brave, doesn’t really have much to do with America the country. America the country merely gives us the opportunity to be free and brave. Actually being free and brave is up to each and every one of us.
At the end of each day, when my head hits the pillow, I like to be able to say to myself “Alright Bowman, today you lived free and you were brave. You manned up when you needed to. You said what no one else would say. You went where no one else went. You did what your heart told you was right.”
Is that crazy? Consider the alternative conversation. “Alright, you live in a free country. But today you wore a red tie today to impress the boss you don’t like at the corporation you wish you didn’t work for. Today, you were too afraid to admit you wanted to get laid to the wife you wish you didn’t marry. Today, you got a degree that your parents told you to get so that they could brag to other parents.”
My fellow Americans, today on July 4th when you are out getting drunk and watching explosions, think about what freedom means to you. This country says that each and every one of us has the inalienable right to be free. But having the right and actually doing it are two separate things.
What better time to start doing it then today? Make the festivities a celebration of the fact that you are going to do it like you’ve never done it before.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Allen // Jul 4, 2008 at 2:31 pm
You said it so well. You are the master of pumpitude. You have pumped me up about my life and the opportunities I have every moment. Thank you. I’m fucking free.
Have a great holiday, and a great every day.
That goes for everyone reading this too. The thousands of people who read ifitfeelsgooddoit.com every day should go out and exercise their freedom.
2 lou // Jul 5, 2008 at 11:24 pm
this is my favorite penetrating insight entry yet. I really think you’ve hit them mark on this topic. People need to realize that it’s their values, big money, “Perfect life”, that gets in the way of their true freedom. But then again since the minimum wage is nowhere near a living wage people struggle to even be able to afford a healthful life and that is hugely detrememntal to their being free!!
3 The Baglady // Jul 7, 2008 at 7:58 pm
loved this post. Especially this part: “Today, you were too afraid to admit you wanted to get laid to the wife you wish you didn’t marry. Today, you got a degree that your parents told you to get so that they could brag to other parents.”
Then again, America the country also spews out a lot of propaganda that makes you think you are free, but in fact you are still an indentured servant to be taxed into oblivion. Anyway, here is my 4th of July post: http://www.wisebread.com/patriotism-and-personal-finance-a-brief-walk-through-american-history
4 Ian Bowman // Jul 8, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Allen - I am so glad you’re fucking free. That is the best way to celebrate your freedom.
lou - I was even more free when I made minimum wage.
Baglady - It’s alright to spam each other’s blogs with self-promotional hyperlinked comments? Well then, I’m going to get on that shit.
5 The Baglady // Jul 8, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Yeah, I spam lotsa people. Whoever allows hyperlinks in comments deserves spamming
Leave a Comment