A Question of Freedom

“I'm not in pursuit of happiness, I'm happiness in pursuit; ready to happen everywhere I go.”

-- Bernard Kelvin Clive, author, speaker, trainer, lecturer

In what areas of your life are you most free to do what you like?

I can do anything I like, in any area I choose, within the rule of law.

I want to be original, but I worry that my ideas have already been done, and I'm worried about being shunned as "stupid" just for realizing something others realized long ago. What do I do?

First of all, don’t worry about what other people think of you. Those that judge usually need to clean up their own house. Second, I occasionally do what you do. It amazes me that great minds think alike. Now, your job is to not judge others for being small by judging you. We aren’t stupid, we are, occasionally, slow on the uptake.

A lot of people realized that socialism was a “great idea” without taking the time to realize it has never worked, no matter the version you try. It simply doesn’t ever work, and the common people are the ones who suffer in it. Great idea? No. Sometimes ideas that have already been done and failed shouldn’t have ever been retried, and retried, and tried yet again. Some ideas, in hindsight, are best left unvoiced.

What if literally, every single person rejected the draft in a country? What would happen then?

At the worst, our country, or our allies are at risk of falling to the invading force. The knowledge that people are willing to report when drafted is actually a deterrent to an invader. It is evidence of our resolve as a nation to defend ourselves.  The fact that we defend ourselves against weapons for which, in part or whole, our own companies hold the patents, and make millions of dollars off of, will be kep close to the vest.

“If only one country adopts conscription it automatically forces the rest of the world to imitate its practice. The "abyss calls to the abyss." The United States has been so forced, against her best tradition, to adopt conscription and so becomes a victim of circumstances. Yet, though the majority dislike conscription, still the majority recognize it as a grim necessity of these times.”

-- Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn (1909-1999), political scientist, journalist 

What could that be which is something for you but nothing for me or which is nothing for you but something for me? Why do you think so?

The requited love of a particular life partner. If they love me, they are with me. If they love you, they are with you.

Should we ignore the naysayers and just go ahead blindly trying to succeed without goals?

Always ignore the naysayers when it comes to something you really desire, but your statement doesn’t follow. To go ahead and try to succeed, blindly or not, is itself a goal.

If we could rerun life from the beginning, would it turn out the same?

It is a rerun. If you watch a rerun on the television, does it turn out differently? No. Now, if you’d asked if we started over and corrected the mistakes, made better choices, of course, it will turn out differently. But, that would be cheating and the universe doesn’t allow that. What we change will change everything else, as well. Our new choice might cause death for someone else. If you fail, do you look at it as a negative reflection of your self-worth or as a learning opportunity?

Failure is not a negative if you use it as a learning opportunity. Failure is the best way to learn, so don’t waste it. The first step is to admit your failure; nothing to be ashamed about, everyone fails. If someone says they haven’t, they’re a liar. Now, go back and see where you went wrong. Feel free to ask those who have succeeded at something similar for advice. Correct the mistake, if you can, or understand it so you don’t repeat the mistake next time. If you have a good employer, they should be impressed by the effort you put in to learn from it. If they aren’t, I’d be looking for a better boss.

“You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

-- C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), writer, author

 Why are you writing to someone?

It is what I do. I like to write. I spent two years in Mexico and, try as I might, I still got bored. So, I sat down and decided to write the novel I had always wanted to write. A couple of months later I finished “Third World” about a couple of military sergeants, on foot and strangers to each other, dodging cartels in dystopian Mexico while trying to get back to friendly territory. I sat down each day not knowing what I was going to write until it presented itself. In this way, I was as interested in the story as any reader would be. I looked forward to the next day’s adventure.

Why are all of you so useless?

Like you’re one to judge?

Why do I feel sad and numb?

Bad choices? Make enough of them and it will make you sad. If you’re sad long enough, it will make you numb. What is in the past is done. Tomorrow isn’t written. Make better choices each and every moment. The choices you make right now have great bearing on what happens in the next. Learn to be happy always.

Why does appreciation always turn into expectation?

Selfishness. If you take the time to help someone, they become reliant on you to always jump when they need help. They expect you to say yes. If you do a good job for your boss, the same rule applies. I try to be humble when I help others. I try to be selfless, not expecting anything in return, yet others keep expecting me to jump. It is irritating to them when I, very often, don’t.

Is the value of a person’s life in an impoverished developing nation the same as the value of an affluent Westerner’s life?

All lives matter, regardless of what hate groups try to make us believe. All lives have value, whether they realize it or not. Whenever the poor have risen up against those holding them down, they have made a difference and proved their value. The trick for the impoverished is not believing everything they’re told. The trick is recognizing who is really holding them back and who is trying to help. For instance, if they’ve been waiting for things to get better for more than two hundred years, maybe they’ve hitched their wagon, their hopes, and dreams, to the wrong horse. 

“I believe that all lives have equal value. That all men and women are created equal. That everyone belongs. That everyone has rights, and everyone has the right to flourish. I believe that when people who are bound by the rules have no role in shaping the rules, moral blind spots become law, and the powerless bear the burden. … I believe that entrenched social norms that shift society’s benefits to the powerful and its burdens to the powerless not only hurt the people pushed out but also always hurt the whole.”

-- Melinda Gates, philanthopist

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as a chaplain at the regional medical center.