The title belongs to a song that almost belongs to my grandparent's era. Since I was small, I've seen this phrase to be used to express something to do with freedom, its resemblance with the suffix notwithstanding. Indeed, freedom is expressed in so many terms and expressions that one cannot but be thankful to the concept of "freedom of expression" albeit all the deterministic forces working their tentacles around it.
This morning, as I looked above the blue sky interspersed with yellow translucent leaves and let out oval smoke rings, I thought I was free. It was Sunday morning, 8:30 a.m. and I was up though nobody had told me to get up so early, though nobody had refrained from doing so, though nobody expected me to, though nobody had anything set aside for me to do, and I had the freedom to leave my phone with the ringer off and be a recluse or be in Regina (though I wish I could be in Riviera). Determinism like the bracketed portion always have their way of sneaking up on us, but I felt relatively free, of assorted levels of bonding and their associated commitments.
And then, I remembered......I mean....letting Manoj Kumar rest for a while, I remembered King Khan showing us what freedom should entail: drinking Pepsi and thereby practising "freedom to be"/"azaadi di ki". Though not hanging on to that thought but predicated on a discussion of the October Revolution, a friend was telling me how the freedom to just do anything and be a consumer of anything was rather worrisome to him; and quite akin to the Marxian chain of thought, he opined or rather, expected that this trend of exhibiting freedom would go on and ascend before bringing everything down. He hoped there would be a rebuilding (of values, ethics, modes of living and principles).
Yet, I wonder whether we the people, in our piecemeal existences do really engage upon freedom. Whether the choice to dress in accordance with what the "market" says, watch certain movies based on what the "market" directs, drink certain potions based on what the market supplies and such other "choices" are not our escape routes from freedom through automated channels of compliances. It relieves us to decide and act on our choices given, and take the path of least resistance to acceptance by our social milieu. So we don't feel alone; but feel that we can do (and possess the powers to do) what we want, and that feeling suffices for the moment rather than the trial and tribulations of it.
And then, there's always tomorrow.
