Freedom For Free

The meaning of freedom has shifted a little or the freedom has become overrated - I am not sure which of the two sentences presents my view towards freedom. A lot of (mostly young) people are shouting here there and everywhere in the world, demanding freedom. Some in social media, some on the streets with big posters, some in form of paintings or art installations and some in any other form you name it. You aren't a free person yet if you haven not got real drunk or smoke a pack of cigarette a day or behave defiantly.

Supposed a 15 year-old-boy had run away from home because their parents wouldn’t allow him to smoke cigarettes. He felt imprisoned, then felt free the minute he finally had cigarettes in his hands. After some days or months he started having this addiction, both physically and psychologically. Now comes my question, does this addiction equals freedom? Does freedom means that he could smoke, or that if he weren’t addicted to smoking?

I don’t have any idea how the meaning of freedom is ruled in the big book of rules and law published by the wisest group of humans in the whole wide world or to which extent does freedom hit its limit in the eye of one society, but I am convinced that freedom has to have much to do with the heart.

I’ve been asked a lot about my religion. Especially since I’ve moved to Germany. Being a minority, the one that is different, or the “auffällig” ones, you would be stared at long enough and people would wonder about your background before they actually ask you about it.

One of my patients told me that I don’t have to wear the headscarf anymore because now I am in a safer and free country. "Safer and free"? Is not it because it is safer and free that people are safe and free to wear anything they want and to believe anything they want to believe? Wearing headscarf may be a burden for some women. I know enough women who are forced to wear headscarf and take it off when they're not around the environments which force them to (like family, work, school, etc.) but I also know enough women who are actually not allowed to wear headscarf (like, (again) family, swork, school, etc.) and secretly wear them when they have the chance. Lucky enough, I am not one of any of them; I am doing it voluntarily. I feel freed wearing it, as nonsense as it may sound.

Freedom will always be a paradox, a surface of many sides and just and just like any other paradoxes, it could only be settled with the heart. Discuss it with the heart and settle with what your heart agrees to – what feels right. Freedom means to me more like possessing your own truth. Being freed in your mind.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Museum

Image
I am in the museum of the earth and this all had happened before So long before that I start to forget how it does look like And how it does feel to be in its curves and cuts in its highs and lows The museum ticket costs me a lot, for the experience iss promised to be real And it does feel real So real it feels weird Celebrations and emotions and I even make friends We talk about how weird the tour guide looks when he talks Should we have taken the unguided tour and experience the museum ourselves? Some of my friends have gone after they thought it's enough for the day while I am still in the museum of the earth for old time sake Reminiscing the way the air feels as I try on different feelings It was delightful but some day it has to come to an end What's left is the stories, packed in a giant museum Then we turned into historians of our lives
Read more

Germany!

Image
I was in Germany for 3 weeks for Summer Youthcamp, held by Goethe Institut! I finally landed in Frankfurt Airport. It was early in the morning when i landed. From Frankfurt Airport, we met Goethe-Team who directly brought us to a small lovely city called Schlitz. The whole town in a sight! This is taken from the tower in the center of Schlitz. On the last day, i talked to my self the thing that always pops in my mind when it's the time to say goodbye; it feels just like yesterday i got here then i gotta wake up today, packing my bag, and go to the airport, and leaving.  And by the wings of the airplane that ready to take off and the sun that slowly went down, i bid this beautiful country a goodbye. And i flew even further. "Die drei Wochen hier mit Euch waren wunderschön. Vielen Dank für die unvergessliche Zeit, kommt alle gut nach Hause, lasst uns in Kontakt bleiben un...
Read more

Cimemeh dan Insiden Telor

Image
Howdy! So, i am doing all NICE :) How about you? Aku punya teman, teman sepermainan. Namanya Cimemeh . Itu bukan nama asli yang diberikan ibunya, sih. Itu nama yang entah siapa yang buat, tapi begitulah dia lebih sering dipanggil oleh kami, teman-teman sekelasnya. Ada sebuah kisah menarik mengenai Cimemeh kita tercinta. Ah tapi ga seru deh kalo diceritain mah, serunya liat sendiri karena muka Cimemeh sungguh menarik perhatian masyarakat luas. Eh tapi gak apa deh cerita aja. Kalo nggak ngerti ato merasa tidak menarik, tak apa. Saya pun berpikir tidak begitu menarik untuk diceritakan, tapi sungguh menarik untuk diingat. Kisah ini terjadi di hari Senin yang cerah pada tanggal 2 Mei 2011, tepat sehari setelah ulang tahunku. Terjadi di Masjid PDAM Sukasari yang merupakan salah satu pos waktu kita LDK few days ago. Well, first of all, let me tell you a little secret, Shabrina Zakaria yang sering saya sebut-sebut namanya di post kemarin-kemarin, adalah makhluk yang nggak pernah ke...
Read more