“The state can’t give you freedom, and the state can’t take it away. You’re born with it, like your eyes, like your ears. Freedom is something you assume, then you wait for someone to try to take it away. The degree to which you resist is the degree to which you are free….”
―Utah Phillips
How have you resisted attempts to limit your freedom to be who you truly are?
I was born marchjng to a different drummer and I have lived my life accordingly. I have usually ended up with the outcasts and downtrodden and I delight in their company. The most oppressed people are often the most free. It’s no coincidence that Jazz was created by African-Americans. It’s total freedom of expression. The lesson I learned from that is, don’t be afraid to push the envelope. Those that matter won’t mind and those that mind don’t matter.
PS: I love Utah Phillips. He was a genuine humanitarian true American hero.
I don’t pay attention to what is “cool” or “trendy.” I pay attention to what I like and what I feel is right. That’s how I defend my freedom.
Yes, I have and it’s cost me more than one job.