Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Freedom and being free

Some words about the concept of freedom and being free...but first a definition.

Freedom: (noun)-
• the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint
• the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved
• the state of being physically unrestricted and able to move easily
• the power of self-determination attributed to the will; the quality of being independent of fate or necessity.

Think about what you feel like when you are experiencing true freedom. The concept of freedom sometimes confuses me because I think that it is implied that to truly be experiencing the true essence of freedom you have to be unfree first. Life wouldn't be so sweet without the bitter.

In this case I'm talking about, its freedom of your heart, not the romantic heart, but your heart as in your sort of soul and essence and being. With each day, each event, each extra minute of daylight, every degree of warmer temperature, every day checked off the calendar, Every inane task completed, I feel a little bit more freedom. I can feel myself becoming free and I love that feeling.

Free: (adjective)-
• not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes
• no longer confined or imprisoned
• not bound by the laws of physics or obligation

Free energy, free soul, free love, free dinner, free service, free to dance and play and climb and swim and jump and laugh, free to tan your belly with the rays of the sun, but most importantly...

FREE TO BE YOURSELF.


I try to do this everyday, but in the teaching profession (and lets face it, in life and love sometimes too), but teaching by its own definition, requires you to be a "someone" or "something" and to put on a bit of a appearance, it requires your time, and effort and work, and to subject yourself to doctrine and bureaucracy and judgment and morals and beliefs that may not be your own. And being a "teacher" is a big part of who I am. But I am also a free person in other ways.

And I can feel that free and easy feeling and that freedom coming. I can feel the other Kale coming on. He truly is a different person, I hope you get to meet him someday, he Radiate's Warmth all day long.

The free Kale lives out of his subaru. The free Kale dances playfully in crocs to bluegrass in the woods, the Free Kale runs full speed and leaps into the ocean, the free Kale plays ukulele till dusk on the front steps for the whole neighborhood to hear, the free kale that hates wearing shirts and prefers short shorts or fisherman pants and always has a funky hat, thee Free Kale that forgets to shave or cut his hair, that is the Free Kale that I love so much, I miss him.

Some of you have only met Kale the teacher. Some of you have only met the Free Kale. (There is a stressed out monster Kale that comes out sometimes too, but lets save that for another post) A very rare few have met both. I'm not saying I'm bipolar, I'm saying that inside of me exists two very different purposes.

TO TEACH and make a difference, and facilitate/affect change in education and the world around me

and...

TO BE FREE and dance and love and laugh and be open to the moment whatever may come next

Ultimately, the two will meet someday in the middle. But for now, I live a double life. That sounds exciting, like a double agent...but its tragic too.

But I do get a kick out of the thought of Teacher Kale walking down the street with his computer bag, well groomed hair and beard, hell even a collared shirt and a tie, sipping a coffee and walking with purpose, looking down his glasses reading some sort of teacher documents accidentally bumping into Free Kale who is still awake and alive from the previous nights Flowmotion Show, getting breakfast in neon green short shorts, crocs, a tank top and a floppy yarn hat, big ol scraggly beard and floppy hair, stopping frequently to look around and enjoy the morning sun glinting off the glory of buildings and all creation breathing and alive.

Teacher Kale would say "Oops! Excuse me there pardner, didn't see ya there I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
Free Kale would reply, "Hey there big fella, thats okay, I was walking a zig zag pattern myself. Take er easy there."
Teacher Kale would then say "Will do buddy, get out there and enjoy life for all us working stiffs will ya?"
Free Kale would reply with a sly smile, "You know I will brother."
And off they would go, Teacher Kale yearning to be like that guy, Free Kale reminded that he should start getting his life back together to do something important.

I'm neither Kale forever, I go back and forth and like Fall and Spring transition between the two. I love winter and Teacher Kale, but I also am overjoyed when Free Kale and summer comes around.

But you know what, it takes both to make the world go round right?

What are your different versions of yourself? When do you feel truly free? What is the perfect moment of freedom to you? Please, comment and share it with all of us we'd love to here it!

4 comments:

Hal Iverson said...

For me, the sun brings out what I consider my "freedom." It is amazing how much my attitude can be controlled by the sun. On a sunnyday perhaps in a park, sitting back and taking in the shining sun with the cool grass on my back and legs. Thats free. On the mountain, in between the moments of PURE FREEDOM that is streaking down the hill, I like to take time on the lift ride up to, again, take in the rays. On a hot beach, finding comfort in the cool water, only to return to the hot rays that I was previously escaping. Sun means happiness. Sun means freedom. I feel like I require sun just as a tree, flower, insect, bird or fish does. Thanks for the post brother.

Charisse said...

i like the crazy-dancing, hat-wearing, beard-sporting kale from rosarito :)

Susan Iverson said...

I have had the privilege of meeting all three (the stressed out Kale as well). Whether you know it or not, you are all of these everyday and your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to accept that there is a teacher in the free Kale and vice versa. The crazed, stressed out Kale is the result of the conflict between the two. As for me, I'm glad you are who you are in all aspects. It makes me proud. Love, Mom

Anonymous said...

I love getting up early in the morning, going to the gym and then coming home and seeing the sun rise behind mt Rainier.

To see my 'wild' bunnies out in the yards hopping happily around them.

Freedom allows me to make boring dull lessons, fun and exciting. To allow my kids to take control of learning and defining who they want to be.

I asked Chris what freedom means to him. Here is his reply, 'being able to express myself, without harming others.'

Alex says, 'freedom is having a free education and being able to question those things around him that don't make sense.'

We love you!!!
C, J, A (and M...she isn't here right now)


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