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I have been doing a lot of thinking these past couple of weeks on my road trip. Thinking about how hard it is to embrace freedom, unpredictability and the unknown.
I have wondered frequently why so many of us stay in the same place, doing the same things to the point of disinterest or boredom? Even when the bubble is broken or the cage lifted, why do we fly in the same space?
Freedom to be, to express myself, to be authentic as possible, to do what I want has always been a major priority in my life. I have talked about it a lot, but never seriously acted on it, until now. South Africa really unleashed that part of me and I am so grateful.
I was in Michigan with family and in Philadelphia last week visiting with my oldest granddaughter, Shelby. We had some deep discussions about what matters to each of us. We both discovered in our own ways that a good portion of how we live our lives does not always support our personal freedom. Of course, to a certain degree compromise is necessary to be inter-dependent in a healthy way. But where do we draw the line in the sand which reflects our personal boundaries, desires, dreams, and uniqueness? Where is that place where the systems we belong to, study and work in, create a win/win for the system and for each of us? How do we make reciprocity the highest value in our relationships?
As I travel around the United States my observations of people, including myself, and how we live our lives is becoming keener. I am not liking what I am seeing and experiencing. A lot of things in the external environment govern our lives and we are so fatigued that too many of us are oblivious.This applies to all ages, even youth, whose time I am learning is far too prescribed.
In general, we are losing ourselves to busyness, and to the decisions others and systems make for us. In essence, we are losing our freedom to be who we are meant or choose to be. It is occurring in imperceptible bits and pieces.
As I sit in restaurants, or in my car at red lights, I see too many people on their cell phones, iPads, computers. We are so 'plugged' in that we are unplugging from ourselves.
Do you know how many more problems we have to solve each day because other people can reach us instantly? Do you realize how cluttered our minds are right now, and how many emotional reactions we are experiencing as a result of this constant barrage of communication? Do you know how much time we spend driving to and from; running, running, running? Ours is a constant state of overwhelm accompanied by diminished sense of freedom to choose how we spend our time.
When I was in Bryn Mawr, PA, just outside of Philadelphia, I was stopped at a green light because a funeral procession was passing through the intersection. Cars, being held up next to and behind me, were blowing their horns! Yes, we had a green light but we were stopped for a funeral procession. I am not sure what it means when we don't have enough patience to allow a funeral procession to pass, but I know it is not a good sign!
One reason I decided to offer myself this road adventure was to experience a sense of freedom while embracing the unpredictable and the unknown. Curiously, what I have found is an unpredictable predictability caused by the entanglements of an intractable way of life; a way of life that does not allow you to not have a plan. It is in this place that we are hardly noticing our loss of freedom to choose, to be different, to go slower, etc. At the same time, I notice a growing fear of the unknown. These two seem to have formed a partnership, one reinforcing the other. How about you? I urge you to reflect on this and examine how much freedom you have
and/or want to claim for yourself and those you love? How much fear are you carrying? What impact is it having on your life? Do you want to make any changes?
With Gratitude,
Elaine
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