I's Is Free

Marion Jones was on Oprah today. She spoke openly about her ordeals with her federal indictment and steroid use. She spoke of her 6 months in prison. When Oprah inquired if prison was like what she saw on shows like "Lockup", Jones was honest and said no. She did say that the thing about any prison is that people always tell you what to do and you have no freedom. Oprah paraphrased a comment from Toni Morrison's "Beloved". She said that freedom is being able to do what you feel, when you feel it.

I have always been one for rules - some beneficial, but all of them limiting.

I have to go to bed early because I have to get enough sleep for work.

I can't act certain ways because people might see.

I can't behave that way anymore because I'm over 30.

I can't _____________ because ___________ (fill in the blanks, I'm sure I've said that at one time or another).

I was reminded tonight that there is such joy in freedom. This realization came in the simplest, most "random" way (I of course don't believe in random).

I got up VERY early today to go to the Price Is Right (they didn't call me to come on down) and my normal schedule of spending time at home was thrown off. I took a nap around 5 or 6 and woke up around 7ish. I had to take some meat from the freezer and wait for it to defrost to cook dinner. I didn't begin to prepare my meal until around 9:30pm. This is a rarity for me - when things are "normal" I generally cook my meals for the week on Sunday. If I do cook during the week it is early - the latest being around 7:30. I like to be in bed by 10:30/11 at the latest. I'm not sure why I do any of that - it is just how it is. I have a friend that I'd call at night and she'd always be in the kitchen preparing some elaborate meal ... I'd say things like, "Dude, it is too late to be cooking that way!" But why?

When I think of freedom, I generally think of big things like not being enslaved or having civil liberties. Leave it to Oprah to remind me to see things in a bigger scope. Being free is having the option to do what we please when we please without anyone telling us what to do. I'm free and I realize that now more than ever that I have nothing that MUST be done.

Freedom is precious ... ALL types of freedom. Even in the form of a lovely, homemade dinner for 1 prepared AFTER 10 pm :)