As I ran down the beach, on Hilton Head’s eastern shore, this morning, I thought about freedom. As ideas raced through my head, I stared ahead at the orange globe of the sun as it rose behind a curtain of clouds and cast a long, orange beam of its rays first through the clouds, then along the glimmering ocean ripples, then onto the water as it washed up on the beach, and finally onto the wet surface of the sand. Dozens of early morning people captured this postcard-perfect scene on their cellphone cameras, presumably to send to their friends back home. Nature can be dazzling.
Hilton Head vacations don’t come cheaply. Now that the economy has improved since the Great Recession of 2008-2009, the place is hopping, not only with Americans but with visitors from Germany, France, and other European countries. Life is good now for the locals, though they had to weather the storm of the real estate crash not long ago.
So, in terms of “freedom,” how do so many manage to afford a vacation costing upwards of two or three thousand dollars? Some really can’t afford it; but their desire to keep up with the proverbial Joneses makes them take on credit card debt. For others, the cost is within their means and worth it, even if it means saving less for the future. Retirement for those in their 20s, 30s, and 40s can seem to be light years away. But, trust me, it comes quickly.
Still, there are some whose income and savings are hardly affected by the cost of such a trip. They live within their means, they have a plan for the future – including their golden years – and they can balance hard work with playful times such as a beach vacation. They LifeNut-like in this regard. Yes, financial planning plays a major role in this lifestyle. Without adequate financial power, one has little “freedom” to take such a vacation. Can’t get there? Read about a high-school grad who rose to millionaire status and gained economic independence – the millionaire mommy next door. If she can do it, so can you.
Then there’s another kind of freedom: the freedom from oppression. Last evening my wife and I watched A Time to Kill, a movie based on a novel by John Grisham. It centered on a white attorney defending a black man in Mississippi who shot two white men who raped his ten-year-old daughter. No one thought he’d get a fair trial in the mostly-white town. And, to add fuel to the racial fire, the Klan got involved. It made me think about the “freedom” we have living in America.
Kenya, where our president visited recently, is rife with deadly violence. Terrorist groups plaque not only the Middle East but also countries – like France – that have allowed so many of them to enter. Even our own Cincinnati was on the verge of racial riots yesterday until the county prosecutor asked for the death penalty in a trial of a policeman who shot and killed a black driver whom he stopped for not having a front license plate. Hundreds, no thousands, in our town don’t have front license plates, even though Ohio law requires them. Riots didn’t happen. But what if the policeman walks? This made international headlines today.
Humankind has made giant strides in transportation, health care, technology, and aviation but “freedom” lags. We claim to be an advanced species, but we act primitively. Many of us are well educated but can’t give each other a cut in line during a traffic slowdown. Now, I’ll admit drivers were much more friendly right after the bombings of 9-11 than they are now. That lasted about a month.
As I continued my run, I noticed the many large bellies, prominent on both men and women – old, middle-aged, and young. Do they have “freedom” (from disease, that is)? No, they’re at the mercy of their lifestyle, which will eventually reward them with diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. I feel for them and I wish they’d read these blogs and become healthier. But, let’s face it, LifeNuts is not for everyone. Still, I’m still optimistic about humanity’s future and I’ll keep running. I like my LifeNuts freedom. And, the sunrises on the beach are too good to ignore.
Hilton Head vacations don’t come cheaply. Now that the economy has improved since the Great Recession of 2008-2009, the place is hopping, not only with Americans but with visitors from Germany, France, and other European countries. Life is good now for the locals, though they had to weather the storm of the real estate crash not long ago.
So, in terms of “freedom,” how do so many manage to afford a vacation costing upwards of two or three thousand dollars? Some really can’t afford it; but their desire to keep up with the proverbial Joneses makes them take on credit card debt. For others, the cost is within their means and worth it, even if it means saving less for the future. Retirement for those in their 20s, 30s, and 40s can seem to be light years away. But, trust me, it comes quickly.
Still, there are some whose income and savings are hardly affected by the cost of such a trip. They live within their means, they have a plan for the future – including their golden years – and they can balance hard work with playful times such as a beach vacation. They LifeNut-like in this regard. Yes, financial planning plays a major role in this lifestyle. Without adequate financial power, one has little “freedom” to take such a vacation. Can’t get there? Read about a high-school grad who rose to millionaire status and gained economic independence – the millionaire mommy next door. If she can do it, so can you.
Then there’s another kind of freedom: the freedom from oppression. Last evening my wife and I watched A Time to Kill, a movie based on a novel by John Grisham. It centered on a white attorney defending a black man in Mississippi who shot two white men who raped his ten-year-old daughter. No one thought he’d get a fair trial in the mostly-white town. And, to add fuel to the racial fire, the Klan got involved. It made me think about the “freedom” we have living in America.
Kenya, where our president visited recently, is rife with deadly violence. Terrorist groups plaque not only the Middle East but also countries – like France – that have allowed so many of them to enter. Even our own Cincinnati was on the verge of racial riots yesterday until the county prosecutor asked for the death penalty in a trial of a policeman who shot and killed a black driver whom he stopped for not having a front license plate. Hundreds, no thousands, in our town don’t have front license plates, even though Ohio law requires them. Riots didn’t happen. But what if the policeman walks? This made international headlines today.
Humankind has made giant strides in transportation, health care, technology, and aviation but “freedom” lags. We claim to be an advanced species, but we act primitively. Many of us are well educated but can’t give each other a cut in line during a traffic slowdown. Now, I’ll admit drivers were much more friendly right after the bombings of 9-11 than they are now. That lasted about a month.
As I continued my run, I noticed the many large bellies, prominent on both men and women – old, middle-aged, and young. Do they have “freedom” (from disease, that is)? No, they’re at the mercy of their lifestyle, which will eventually reward them with diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. I feel for them and I wish they’d read these blogs and become healthier. But, let’s face it, LifeNuts is not for everyone. Still, I’m still optimistic about humanity’s future and I’ll keep running. I like my LifeNuts freedom. And, the sunrises on the beach are too good to ignore.
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