Got up this morning around 6:30, found a cigar in my pocket and decided I would just go take a piss off the balcony and then sit down and relax, smoke my cigar and watch the sun rise. I sit there and watch the birds flutter to and fro, from branches, rooftops, and power lines, just enjoy the morning and my cigar. The birds got me to thinking about the freedom they have and our freedom.
The birds are oblivious to what happens around them, much as we are. I watched one lonely bird sit among the power line and he appeared to be doing exactly as I, relaxing in the break of morn. He sat there standing his ground among the line as bigger birds swept the air above him, almost in an aggressive fashion. Then a beautifully vibrant cardinal sat a few feet away from him, still he remained oblivious. Then, a bird of his kind came and sat just inches away, beak to beak, just the two of them for about 5 minutes and then they both flew away.
These birds represented life and a love. He refused to give up his spot for those most definitely more powerful, remained at peace not succumbing to beauty alone, it had no meaning for him, and finally he found that which fit him, that which he was familiar. It was a sight of freedom, not one of the birds could change what he was searching for, what he wanted. Here I am sitting just thinking, ” I wish I could just be free, not the bird locked in society’s cage. I just want to be able to enjoy it all and not have to worry about the rules. I found what I want in life, I want to be able to watch the sun rise, cigar in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, every morning.”
We must look at the cost of freedom though, all the dangers that it presents. Free birds have many more risks than do the one’s sheltered and locked away. They face predators that could kill them, their young, or ruin their nests. They face random events of strong winds and bad weather that could kill their young. They have no control, they are subject to unknown change constantly. Society’s birds never have these concerns, they are protected by the wire that strangles the heart of freedom.
We can all become free birds but, first we must change our ways. We must change how we attain our food, how we protect ourselves, and how we view our surround before we can ever slip through that little door. We will probably be better off remaining in the cage, but there’s always the fact that outside we can learn more, do more, and see more at risk of our lively hood. It’s up to us to change and only us whether we risk it all for freedom.
“A man of knowledge and a bird adrift may both do what they choose, see what they wish, and go where their heart takes them.”