Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.
~Albert Camus
As I looked through patriotic quotes in honor of the 4th of July tomorrow, I came across this quote which made me stop and think. When we think of freedom, we think of the ability to choose and practice our religion, to be able to speak our minds, to marry who we like, to sit on the same bench as people of other races among a myriad of other blessings we receive due to the gift of freedom.
One thing I’ve never thought about is how by being free, we have the opportunity to become better people. We can better ourselves with education, better our situations with good employment, better our health with top-notch medical care, better our bodies with fitness centers, better our finances with investment opportunities and better ourselves inside with seminars, books on improving our outlook, classes for inner awareness, wilderness retreats and so many others.
Freedom has given us so many opportunities and one of the greatest is to become better. Better than the past, better than where we came from, better than other nations. Not better in a sense that we are the best there ever will be, but better in a sense of improving upon what we have been given, what we have experienced and what we have learned about.
As I have traveled around Southeast Asia these past months, I’ve been able to see how people in different countries live. These countries do not have the freedoms or the opportunities that we, as Americans, have. Some cultures are so oppressed the only choices they have during the day is the price they will accept for something they are selling. Some people we’ve seen are so poor their only choice is to get up and try to sell things or stay in bed and starve.
Yes, not the entirety of every country is like that, but it is so easy to see the difference having the freedoms we hold makes. In Myanmar the people cannot accept dollar bills that are bent or dirty because the government won’t allow it. The people in Myanmar cannot speak openly and freely about their opinions of their government because of the oppression they face. A friend from church had to leave Pakistan for fear of death because he converted to Christianity. Many of the cultures in the world still practice arranged marriages. Many cultures do not allow for women to be educated or hold jobs. So many governments still restrict what web sites their citizens can access and what books they can read. Many governments also control the news and what information the people can receive.
There are so many freedoms we enjoy in America that allow for us to better our lives and to become better people. Sadly, many do not avail themselves of these opportunities, but another great thing about our freedom is that we can choose to use those opportunities at any time. I chose to stop going to college several years ago because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in and then I got sidetracked by getting married. Now, though, I’m back in school and moving forward with my education. I’m very blessed to be able to still go to school 10 years after graduating from high school.
There are so many freedoms I am thankful for. I’m thankful I can practice the religion I choose, I’m thankful I can choose who I marry, I’m thankful I can receive an education. I’m thankful I can travel outside the US whenever I want. I’m thankful I can read any book I desire. I’m thankful I can speak my mind whenever I choose. I am so very thankful I have the opportunity to become better than I am today. It really is a wonderful blessing we receive from the freedoms we hold.
Related articles
- 4th of July Quotes about Freedom (prettyopinionated.com)
