Jozmos: What Say You?

What does that mean to you, and make you feel?

In this country of ours, the United States, it’s supposed to be a right. A right to do as you please so long as no harm is caused to anyone or anything. How long has it been, if ever, is that freedom is a real truth? Do we have true freedom, or just enough for the illusion of freedom, just enough freedom to be told, “not to complain?” Is my view too cynical?

Hmmm…maybe what comes to mind would be freedom to experiment with one’s own body, one’s own consciousness. Sure, most believe that freedom is granted, unless you are one of the many who have different ideas about how society deems freedom. For example, in most states, many who choose to use natural means to heal themselves can be put in prison. Is that freedom?

I’ve even heard that collecting your own rainwater can land you with an arrest, or fines. Some that use plants for healing are looked upon as horrible people.

Remember the painful era of slavery? Actually owning people?! What kind of “freedom” was that? Has the actual slavery system been abolished, or simply changed to an economic and financial slavery?  Whoever said, “Freedom isn’t free”…. Well, why not?  Why are we humans the only life that has to make up some system that benefits some and dismisses the rest?

Now, if you’re still with me, I do understand that some regulations and codes should be followed; those that protect others from not being able to actually be free; those that need to be in place so that everyone can enjoy freedom. (Sadly those ideas get attacked for being “liberal and progressive” as if progress is a bad thing?)

Photo by Jose Moreno on Unsplash

Progress and freedom go hand in hand, for without progress, we’d still be denying other life it’s right to live and be free!  The motto of an imbecile we’ve heard too much about -”make America great again” is thoroughly insulting to the fact that progress is helping to ensure freedom. That side seems to think that when people who weren’t white, Christian, and privileged was when America was great, and that somehow our country of freedom should return to that! Oh that propaganda works too well on the weak minded. (Of course in an opposing view and belief system the same could be said for my tribe and me.) While opposition has the same freedom to make this claim, do many actually do the research or just read headlines and edited sound bites? In freedom, everyone should be able to give his or her point of view, and the opposition should be able to match or go beyond that viewpoint, and to criticize what may prove to be false. Too bad, those pesky beliefs get in the way of facts. (I know, I’ve got some too, but I’m working on that.)

There exists another realm of freedom – one that is in the mind, one that is within the heart. Those are the secret places within us that are totally free. The only chains there are the self-created ones. Those are the ones we sometimes don’t even realize till a life situation pushes us headfirst into it, becoming a force for us to question those chains that we have made (and those caused by subtle brainwashing. Indoctrination comes to mind.)

Isn’t that the true fight for freedom, to fight those things we put on ourselves, by ourselves? To open up a space within, to allow the observer to watch without so much judgment that it becomes only an ego experience? To be able to heal, break free from those things we have created, to be able to work through them and enjoy life?  Will freeing oneself from within free us from the outside forces or at least allow us such peace that the outside lack of complete freedom is no longer such a burden?

What say you?

Jozzy Allman, Columnist

Jozzy is an advocate for health and wellness, of body, mind, and emotions. He shares “what works for (him).” Jozzy also spins fire and cooks creative cuisine.