What does freedom mean to you?

As a high school senior, I had an amazing teacher whom we called Bro. That year, he took me under his wing. Curiously, for a few months, we were neighbours. He stayed at the priest’s house fronting our abode. Anyway, freedom was one of the main topics in his course. So much so that he gave the other sections a free period to unpack their view of freedom. The following is an excerpt from my memoir:

‘Come senior year, Berto and Kermit oversaw the flag-raising. As it was raining, the former went to our class and instructed Kermit to get moving. He made sure to use his fingers in the pantomime. Our whole class laughed. On another occasion, he kept munching on junk food outside our room. We later learned that Bro gave them the whole period off in a vivisection of freedom. Bro did likewise with all the other sections in our year. However, he told us that, “Your class is too enlightened for a free period.”

Upon witnessing the gloating, Bro mentioned that “He needs to take worm pills.”

Whenever Ticzon saw my sister, he would screech “Ate Jacky!”

The Essay

As part of his class, we were to hand in an essay. We would ask five different entities on what freedom means to them. I recall a classmate querying a peanut vendor on the street. I approached a uni professor. Kermit went so far as to interview a dog walker. To be inclusive, he should’ve reserved some queries to the furry critters. As they say, ‘The more, the merrier.’

Through the years, I’ve encountered many quotes on freedom. Here are a couple.

From a dated film: ‘Freedom is the potential to challenge yourself from the constraints of traditional rule.’

‘I will walk in freedom for I have devoted myself to your commandments.’

Relative

Freedom is relative, like an amoeba that changes shape. Ask a preschooler and a PhD. They would have vastly dissimilar views on the matter. A working class fella would probably retort that freedom means a reprieve from ‘Struggle Street’. A wealthy sod would see freedom as a let up from their decreasing riches. A seminarian might view liberty as more time and prayer. An influencer would interpret freedom as a license for creative expression. A basketball star would see it as the license to score. You get my drift.

Freedom is quite a broad subject. They should make a unit purely about it. The WordPress prompt is open-ended. Freedom? What about it? Freedom of speech? Freedom to pursue your career goals? To cross continents? To eat red meat on Lent? To date a Playmate? You need to narrow it down.

In My Own Words

So, back to the big question. What does freedom mean to me?

Freedom implies being left alone yet still being a part of the action. It means doing chores and having autonomy. At the same time, you should be bound by your society’s rules, norms, and etiquette. As they say, ‘No man is an island.’

I am fortunate to be part of two cultures. Liberty is embracing those two heritages. Just because I live in Sydney, this doesn’t necessitate erasing Filo culture. Being westernised and Oriental aren’t mutually inclusive. We should take the best of both worlds.

More importantly, accepting freedom means trying. We are endowed with various talents. Use them wisely and don’t be a captive to time. Freedom is artistic expression. You must be assertive and original. Don’t recycle but rejuvenate. Add. Explore.

Wars and Basketballs

Freedom is the right to live as you choose, without fear or favour. To enter places of worship without being judged. To eat what you want, and dress as you see fit. To access books and watch movies. To dine out in Michelin stars and explore new worlds. To create new memories while strengthening bonds with family and friends. To carry out your work without being disturbed or distracted.

Take this with a rejoinder. This privilege is like a basketball offence. No matter how deadly you are, you have to buy into the team concept. Stars win games but it takes a team to win championships. Michael Jordan never bagged a chip ring by averaging 37 points a game. MJ had to be a complete player, not just an incandescent scorer. Eventually, he had to incorporate his teammates. On his first NBA Finals, he averaged double-digit assists and outplayed Magic Johnson. So, while you may feast on your lonesome, you need to adapt to your environs.

Freedom ‘is in the eye of the beholder’. To be free of shackles. To overcome challenges. We no longer live in a colonial world. Proxy wars are history. We are reminded of the precious freedom that we enjoy. Others are not so fortunate. Refugees, suffering, and displacement seem anachronistic in this age of wizard technology and much progress. The witnesses have spoken and these subjects will make their voices heard.

A Timeless Conundrum

Ages since the class project, the question still resonates. Indeed, freedom is a classic conundrum. It has predated written history and subsumes human conditions. Freeedom is observed in the plant and animal kingdom. Whether you’re penguins in Antarctica or orangutans in Malaysia, freedom MATTERS. Whether it’s Pinoys in Mother Spain or singers in Guantanamo, Cuba, liberty reverberates. Freedom outlasts lifetimes and generations. It was here before you were born. It will be around for aeons to come.