Medley of Freedom
I Am Feeling Free And Naturally High
It’s a funky, hippie kinda feeling.
I just read a story by Amy Marley about experiencing a Natural High, which led me to her story about Flash Dancing, and a couple of songs that flashed into her memory.
Isn’t that how life works? One thing leads to another and before you know it, you are on the right track.
I was reviewing some of my older stories for a project I am working on when I came across a story I had written over six months ago. It was to introduce my publication, Freedom Lifestyle.
That got me thinking of songs about freedom; personal, professional, and cultural freedom.
A song by REO Speedwagon flashed in my mind. Yes, Amy, I said, flashed.
I vividly saw myself. I was in my 1973 Plymouth Satellite Sebring, driving north on Pulaski Road, as I approached Devon Ave. There was an ARCO gas station to my right near the NE corner of the intersection. The radio was blasting, “I make you laugh, and you make me cry; I believe it’s time for me to fly.”
I made the firm decision; it was time for me to fly.
It was time for me to reclaim myself and move on.
So I told her it was time for us to call it quits.
It was a Sunday morning, and I felt an urge to visit the community center, a place of social and religious gathering, where I hadn’t been in over three years. Later, I walked out of there feeling renewed.
It was summer, and I was 27 years old. I had been working for Pizza Hut for the past six years. I had started as a dishwasher and worked my way up to being Manager of the Year. I wanted to be a trainer, someone who could help others learn from my experience; pass on Barney Paradise’s wisdom to a new generation of up-and-coming managers in a different part of the country.
However, there was a recession going on in the country and I was making too much money according to the bean counters. The writing was on the walls.
It felt like being born in the summer of my 27th year, returning to a place I’d never been before.
And yes, I’d been a poor man, had I never saw an eagle fly.
Speaking of eagles flying
And, as long as we’re talking about flying and Michael Jordan, how about this one?
“There are miracles in life I must achieve, But first I know it starts inside of me.”
We are all feeling it inside these days. There is a cultural movement going on. People are saying, “Enough is enough.”
For decades, artists and thought leaders had been telling us that it will come to this; as evidenced by this song from almost 50 years ago.
“Your blacks are dying, but your back is still turned Your freaks are crying but your back is still turned You better stop your hiding or your country will burn.”
And the time has come for you my friend To all this ugliness we must put an end Before we leave, we must make a stand.
This weekend, we will celebrate US Independence Day, otherwise known as the Fourth of July. It is as good a time as any for us to make a commitment to ourselves and to the future generations; to become active in our local communities, and exercise our rights on November 3rd, to reclaim our freedom from career politicians.
Are you ready to make a stand?
As always, thank you for reading and responding.
More about me:
An interview by Dr. M Yildiz for ILLUMINATION
And a couple of related stories:
Rasheed Hooda is a published author and a regular contributor to ILLUMINATION, a writers’ community on Medium where writers support each other.
He is a self-proclaimed weirdo who lives a Freedom Lifestyle and writes about related topics — Travel (a top writer), Personal Growth, Freedom, and entrepreneurship. (Get the Newsletter)
“You can let others tell you what it means to be successful, or you can decide it for yourself.”
