Freedom as Mirage

There's only so much freedom you are allowed in life; democracy, (pseudo)secularism, racial integration and multi-ethnic society, notwithstanding.When it comes to the moment of reckoning these supposed niceties come a cropper . Hand on heart, are the majority truly living the lives they wanted? How many of us in a modern democracy(with its attendant script and familiar story-lines) will truly succeed living the life of their choosing; even one that might embrace only a marginally different way of living, thinking, feeling or belonging to the degree that their present lives begin to seem so far away?! Jamais vu, no?Far be it for me to suggest what's bad and/ or different is actually good for you but even so, makes you wonder why such a cascade of obstruction, deceit and dissent to going against the grain?! Your life, in its myriad piece meal parts, is largely pre-ordained depending upon what part of the world you were born, the race you were born into never mind what your racial phenotype; the status and education your parents had ( your mum especially), and just how wholesome have your formative years been.Be that as it may, you'd think it should no longer strike as odd having your gay lover over at the office party, or for women to openly admit to taking people half their age as lovers, or adopting mentally challenged children and marrying into HIV/AIDS or even, befriending the homeless and socializing with people who live rough, right? Wrong, all that is still pushing the envelope too far in today's world which is every bit as much about keeping appearances as was society in the 40s and 50s. At least, back then they were less pretentious. Do let's say however; for the most part,freedom is a boon. But that in itself, does not mean that having a constitutional democracy with a free media can guarantee independent views and elasticity of thought and purpose, when it comes to taking on change and/or difference.Putting a slightly different spin on things - how many of us have the liberty of saying to our partner's face that we'd previously imagined them to be far more interesting and nicer people to live with than they really are, without it stirring the hornet's nest in some way or form, or to our parents that they may have royally messed us up both on the inside and on the outside. These are no-go areas;always have been.And spare a thought to that unfortunate identical twin, of a person in need of a renal transplant, who although he loves his sibling to death is unable to get round to the idea of kidney donation, even if it is to one of his own.Is this the sort of freedom we most want to lap up, for ourselves and for others - Freedom which oftentimes, is stifling and can be just a tad conceited?! Today, we are mostly a free people, and yet are exiled within some dark abyss of our mind. And that is only the half of it when we stop to think of why it is we, generally, find it so difficult to celebrate and live down the differences that exist between us. No wonder they say too much of a good thing can be bad for you. I had better be careful what I wish for; my wish might come true.Absolute freedom can devastate also?