Freedom - IFC - S1 : R32 entry
Merriam Webster defines the word FREEDOM as follows:
1 : the quality or state of being free: such as
a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence
c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous freedom from care
d : unrestricted use gave him the freedom of their home
e : ease, facility spoke the language with freedom
f : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken answered with freedom
g : improper familiarity
h : boldness of conception or execution
2 a : a political right
b : franchise, privilege
Freedom means many different things to many different people. How you personally define freedom truly depends on your subjective view of the world around you. Take for example the Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust Survivor Viktor Frankl. Frankls worldview, even during his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps was one of personal and mental freedom. For others, simply having a secure 9-5 job which allows them to pay their bills every month and have enough left over to feed and entertain themselves consider themselves as having freedom. On the darker side, many people who seem to have everything going for them and opportunity after opportunity just feel tied down and focus on the things in life they cannot control. While others truly have had their freedom stripped and are unable to get in touch with their inner freedom ala Viktor Frankl.
For me personally, freedom has always had an ever changing meaning. I have worked my entire life and have been free to partake in the "American Dream". You know, the house with the white picket fence, decent paying job and a reliable vehicle to get me from point A to point B on any given day. Whoo hoo, I have arrived. Talk about personal freedom. So why didn't I feel free? So about four and a half years ago I realized this was not the definition of freedom I wanted to live any longer and so I chose to become self employed. This was great because now I had the freedom to create my own schedule. Although I found myself working signifcantly more hours I absolutely did feel more freedom than at any other point in my life. Fast forward 4 1/2 years to the present day and I can say with all certainty that my definition of freedom has once again changed.
This past March my wife @juliabreheny, my 10 year old son Nick and myself decided to downsize our lives and seek an even greater sense of freedom. We purchased a travel trailer and a new hitch for my truck and moved out of our house and into the travel trailer. We have been staying local to our home area since March 4th and will be heading out to begin our workkamping adventure on May 18th. We will be travelling to Yellowstone National Park and working for the summer. Free from the constraints of what we deem to be the typical hum drum existence. Free from most of the "stuff" we managed to accumulate throughout our lives. Free to create and redefine our personal meanings of freedom.
I know that I am blessed to experience freedoms that others do not have and it is my sincere hope that whoever you are and whereever you may be that you are able to create and define freedom in a way that makes your heart sing no matter what circumstances you are experiencing.
Until next time, we'll be seeing you... ON THE ROAD!
For details on the contest and instructions on entry go to IFC S1 R32
I am not a judge, but you have my vote anyway.
Thank you, I truly appreciate that.
Fuck yeah
This just might be my favorite comment on any of my posts.
As a couple we refused to wait until we were 65 to enjoy freedom only to possibly be riddled with health issues. You can live in the moment and still plan for the future without giving your life to your boss, your things and the demands of everyday life that we put on ourselves. Great post @jbreheny.
I would say that you are totally biased but it is a pretty decent post isnt it?
Awesome man! So will you guys be home schooling your son? Yellow Stone is definitely top of my list. I hope to see some awesome shots this summer from there!
Yes we will be home schooling him. We are leaving for Yellowstone on May 18th which is his last day of school. We found a great program which gives him 6 subjects including one foreign language and a computer coding class as well. He will have access to his very own virtual robot and will learn to program the online robot using computer coding. He'll also be able to fulfill his Phys Ed requirements with various activities we will be doing while travelling such as hiking or kayaking. I will definitely be posting pictures and writing updates. It's going to be f&*king awesome!
In today's day and age it's awesome who accessible that type of program is that also not out dated and has classed like coding which are huge now and will be huge in the future! Sounds like you guys found a gem! Will you just stop by wifi hot spots certain days to get the work done and then go out exploring!?
We are on an unlimited plan with our carrier (Verizon Wireless). They hvae the best coverage in the states. We'll use wifi hotspots whenever we can and our personal hotspots on our phones when we don't. Unfortunately after we hit 15 GB's of service on the personal hotspot we get limited to 600kbps if and when there is a lot of network traffic (That'll be like living back in the 90's). I'm sure that one of my posting topics will be internet usage while on the road. I know Yellowstone has a place near their dorms which supposedly has decent wifi but we will just have to wait and see.
congratulations and have an epic journey!
Thank you @madpotters, We definitely will.
Looks like I have started following at the perfect time. I am facinated by the nomadic lifestyle. I am eager to follow along on all the new adventures. I can't imagine living on the road with a child that should make things extra interesting. I bet he is especially excited for school to end this year.
Will he have his own Steemit account? I follow a few kids on here, It is always amazing to me how mature they seem at such a young age. Maybe it is just me, seems like todays youth are growing up quicker than in my day. I wish the platform were around when I was raising my daughter.
Hmmm, our son was going to Youtube his nomadic childhood, but now you got me thinking Steemit and dtube. My brain is really turning now.
Yes, yes, YES!
Yellowstone is my big dream too and to live vicariously through the adventure you guys have...Wow that would be awesome. You are gonna expand the mind of your children in such a way that their lives will never be the same again. Normalcy will no longer be a route or option for them and that is absolutely fantastic!
Bon Voyage to you all, friends. May everyday bring you brand new, liberating, life-affirming experiences. The juice of life is just around the corner ;)
Less than 1 week and counting. Can't wait.
Wonder if you could find a way to work that in for some of his home school credits. But you never know he is young lots of time to see if steem price shoots way up. Papa Peeper has an account for his kids.
I just ran across a guy who is moving into a box truck he seems kind of worried about it. I may see if he wants to come over here for some inspiration.
That would be great. We appreciate the follow. Both my wife @juliabreheny and myself @jbreheny will be posting about our adventures.
We bought our first RV last year and took a 3 week trip in it. If you like to read about travel adventures I have 5 older posts about our entire trip.
A great adventure you and your family will be having! A new free life! Very exciting, and wishing the best to you and your family!
It is very exciting and also a bit scary. We will make the absolute best of it and I'm sure we will have some great stories.
From the HIVE ;)
Hive BOMB!
YAY!
Hive Bomb!
BOOOOOM!
The philosophy of Viktor Frankl changed my life.
How can one man accept servitude and death and another will find the mental fortitude to grab onto any bright-spark in the bleakest of circumstances and use that to feed the grand vision held only in his mind. The vision that will eventually see himself back on the road to freedom...Truly though that man was always free anyway. The greatest place that we can ever really feel freedom is within ones own mind and heart.
But you bring up the point that many do not ever come to understand, freedom is fluid and ectoplasmic and vague, it is not a one time destination. Today's me will likely not be the me of tomorrow, I hope not anyway, I would like to think that I will expand and grow throughout life's lessons and experiences.
You have constantly re-assessed your life my friend and redefined your parameters at various stages throughout your hundred year existence ;)
It sounds terribly overly simplistic, but maybe we should periodically ask ourselves...
How free, happy, successful, loved do I feel, today?
Many live in a constant rerun of yesterday, they don't have a life comprised of 70 or 80 years they have one day repeated ad-infinitum until one day potentially on their deathbed they suddenly get it.
Yes today's freedom within the context of our life may feel like bondage a short way down the tracks, that is OK though, simply re-assess, re-group, draft a new plan and get back on the road...
Speaking of which, I hope you and yours have the adventure of a lifetime, but only until the next big adventure leaps in to your collective minds. Then you can have the new adventure of a lifetime :D
I think what it all boils down to is how you define, or should I say RE-DEFINE the meaning of freedom in your life. This same strategy can be applied to the definition you apply to anything. Happiness, success and peace just to name a few.