Ripples v9.27: Free (not Free!)

Ripples v9.27: Free (not Free!)
7/2/07: a free weekly splash from Paul & The Ripples Project

____________________PEBBLE ____________________

To be truly free, you must first be disciplined.
-source unknown, submitted by Jules G., Eau Claire WI

____________________BOULDER ____________________

Freedom is not merely
the opportunity to do as one pleases;
neither is it merely
the opportunity to choose between set alternatives.
Freedom is, first of all,
the chance to formulate the available choices,
to argue over them--and then,
the opportunity to choose.
-C. Wright Mills

____________________PONDER ____________________

As those of us here in the U.S prepare to celebrate our Independence Day, I want to remind us all that the word FREE has two different connotations. We sometimes use FREE to mean "no cost" and other times it refers to the concept described above: the opportunity to create and make choices. I am sure I am not the only one who worries that we tend to take our FREEdoms for granted, and we sometimes slip into thinking that they should not cost anything (cost = money, time, effort, etc.). Free isn't Free!

In between the picnics and the sparklers and the fireworks, I dare you to spend a few minutes asking your companions what being FREE means to them. What choices are they most glad they have, and what responsibility do we have for paying to be FREE. Some might think of paying in terms of taxes to a government who protects and provides, others might view community service as a way to give back (and perhaps helping others become FREE).

Enjoy the many choices you have!

Peace,
Paul