Larry & John, Two Distinct Freemen
The other day I'm standing at a street corner near where I live. I am looking at two men across the street from each other. This is a rare moment where I happen to catch a glimpse of both of them at the same time. One man is a millionaire. The other man lives in his van. One gentleman stands on the porch of one of his current projects; he buys and sells residential houses. The other gentleman stands in front of his van with a bag full of recyclable things; he collects plastic bottles and aluminum cans from nearby garbage bins and lives in his van. I've befriended both men since moving into the neighborhood. They both like beer. The man with the van usually has his van parked across the street from the house the other man is flipping. I don't think they've met one another.
As I'm about to turn the corner and head somewhere to grab a bite to eat and get some work done online, I stand in awe at the view of both of them. I wonder about the different thoughts that may be going through their hearts and minds. I also wonder about the similar thoughts that may be going through their hearts and minds. It is this moment which inspires me to write what I am now describing.
I've noticed when walking in almost any downtown city that one can see millionaires ( those who seem to have it all ) sharing the same sidewalk space with the homeless ( those without a penny to their name ). I notice how distinct paths occupy the same small spaces. Although the exterior appearance may divide them, I wonder what is really going on inside. I've written in blogs past that any working person is most likely 2 to 20 weeks from becoming homeless. The timing would depend on several factors, most likely their debt load and their savings. If they were lose their job or if some life challenge were to occur, down the hole they go. This reality also goes for those who earn over a million dollars a year, for quite a few of them spend just as much. When taking a closer look at things and considering these two gentlemen, I wonder if the man living in the van is debt free. I wonder what his monthly financial demand is. I can only imagine what the millionaire's monthly bills must be like.
I then wonder to myself: which, if any, of these two gentlemen are 'free?'
Free could mean many things; free from worry, free from economic challenges, free from a guilty conscience, free from moral trappings, etc.
Let's look at the economic sense of being free. For some this type of 'free' ( freedom ) means they are not economically enslaved by the world or subject to someone else directly. They may have their own business or they are their own boss. Both of these men are their boss of their own business. Yet I see the millionaire guy working very hard in managing the laborers who work for him. I see him doing a lot of work on the investment house himself ( aside from all the work of buying and selling houses; the office work, the mental work in negotiations, dealing with people's characters and such ). I also see the man with the van crushing plastic bottles almost the entire day. I find him at the laundromat searching for recyclable items. Both of these gentlemen work. Both of these men most likely break a sweat working and yet they are the boss of their business.
So I must ask: are these two men free in the economic sense? Or is only one of them free?
Perhaps being 'free' is only a state of mind. Perhaps being 'free' is possible but only to a certain degree. I've noticed those who act or believe themselves to be free sometimes running the risk of being very irresponsible. These free[dom] chasers are sometimes destructive, not only with their own lives but also of those around them. Hasn't the pursuit to be 'free' from the likes of these toppled monarchies and empires? When royal kings or imperial emperors have used their selfish pursuit to be 'free,' haven't they also fallen into tyranny, into incest and into exercising too much 'sovereign' power over others? Didn't their free[dom] come at a cost to others? Seems like they actually became slaves to their vices. In reading the history of the world's kings and the worlds rulers, these also made disastrous decisions which hurt and enslaved the many in order to provide the idea of being 'free' for the few. And some of those who looked to these 'free' and powerful people for leadership also fell into the decadence. States, nations and peoples have fallen fast and hard due to the repetitive nature of humanity's nearsighted ambitions.
To the people who desire to be free to accept or reject others according to their skin color, place of origin, language, religion, are they not excluding and shunning others according to their prejudices?
To the people who desire to be left alone to be 'free' to make money at whatever means they can, haven't they literally enslaved others, destroyed economies and broke the trust among the common people? Haven't these who demand to be 'free' actually polluted the world with waste and the byproducts of the things they sell?
What is the responsible work in the pursuit to be 'free?'
Responsibility. Example. Leadership. Dignity. Honor. Integrity. Honesty. Love. Peace. Unity.
These are a few of the works and labors of the truly free.
I see these two men but I cannot determine if either of them are truly free.
I have experienced the two extremes they represent and found myself not free at either end.
As I'm about to turn the corner and head somewhere to grab a bite to eat and get some work done online, I stand in awe at the view of both of them. I wonder about the different thoughts that may be going through their hearts and minds. I also wonder about the similar thoughts that may be going through their hearts and minds. It is this moment which inspires me to write what I am now describing.
I've noticed when walking in almost any downtown city that one can see millionaires ( those who seem to have it all ) sharing the same sidewalk space with the homeless ( those without a penny to their name ). I notice how distinct paths occupy the same small spaces. Although the exterior appearance may divide them, I wonder what is really going on inside. I've written in blogs past that any working person is most likely 2 to 20 weeks from becoming homeless. The timing would depend on several factors, most likely their debt load and their savings. If they were lose their job or if some life challenge were to occur, down the hole they go. This reality also goes for those who earn over a million dollars a year, for quite a few of them spend just as much. When taking a closer look at things and considering these two gentlemen, I wonder if the man living in the van is debt free. I wonder what his monthly financial demand is. I can only imagine what the millionaire's monthly bills must be like.
I then wonder to myself: which, if any, of these two gentlemen are 'free?'
Free could mean many things; free from worry, free from economic challenges, free from a guilty conscience, free from moral trappings, etc.
Let's look at the economic sense of being free. For some this type of 'free' ( freedom ) means they are not economically enslaved by the world or subject to someone else directly. They may have their own business or they are their own boss. Both of these men are their boss of their own business. Yet I see the millionaire guy working very hard in managing the laborers who work for him. I see him doing a lot of work on the investment house himself ( aside from all the work of buying and selling houses; the office work, the mental work in negotiations, dealing with people's characters and such ). I also see the man with the van crushing plastic bottles almost the entire day. I find him at the laundromat searching for recyclable items. Both of these gentlemen work. Both of these men most likely break a sweat working and yet they are the boss of their business.
So I must ask: are these two men free in the economic sense? Or is only one of them free?
Perhaps being 'free' is only a state of mind. Perhaps being 'free' is possible but only to a certain degree. I've noticed those who act or believe themselves to be free sometimes running the risk of being very irresponsible. These free[dom] chasers are sometimes destructive, not only with their own lives but also of those around them. Hasn't the pursuit to be 'free' from the likes of these toppled monarchies and empires? When royal kings or imperial emperors have used their selfish pursuit to be 'free,' haven't they also fallen into tyranny, into incest and into exercising too much 'sovereign' power over others? Didn't their free[dom] come at a cost to others? Seems like they actually became slaves to their vices. In reading the history of the world's kings and the worlds rulers, these also made disastrous decisions which hurt and enslaved the many in order to provide the idea of being 'free' for the few. And some of those who looked to these 'free' and powerful people for leadership also fell into the decadence. States, nations and peoples have fallen fast and hard due to the repetitive nature of humanity's nearsighted ambitions.
To the people who desire to be free to accept or reject others according to their skin color, place of origin, language, religion, are they not excluding and shunning others according to their prejudices?
To the people who desire to be left alone to be 'free' to make money at whatever means they can, haven't they literally enslaved others, destroyed economies and broke the trust among the common people? Haven't these who demand to be 'free' actually polluted the world with waste and the byproducts of the things they sell?
What is the responsible work in the pursuit to be 'free?'
Responsibility. Example. Leadership. Dignity. Honor. Integrity. Honesty. Love. Peace. Unity.
These are a few of the works and labors of the truly free.
I see these two men but I cannot determine if either of them are truly free.
I have experienced the two extremes they represent and found myself not free at either end.
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