The Eternal Question
Safety vs Freedom
I like to hike alone. Don’t get me wrong, I love hiking with friends, sharing discoveries and stories. But when I’m alone, it’s as if my brain is being rinsed: ideas flow around and through, I make lists, I talk to plants and rocks (They rarely answer back.) I hear Thoreau quotations in my head and feel I’m part of an ancient tradition of saunterers.
I was talking to someone the other day about a hike I had done, and she asked who I went with. “I went alone,” I replied.
“You went alone?! Weren’t you scared?”
“Of what?” I was actually mystified.
“I mean, some man could have attacked you, or a bear, or you might step on a snake, and if you’re all alone, my gosh, what if you fell?”
I have fallen. I’ve seen bears and snakes, and we tend to give each other space. I’ve never been attacked by a strange man, though I’ve dated plenty.
“So, if you were hiking with me, and any of those things happened, what would you do?” I asked.
“I, I’d call 911!”
“And if there was no signal? Would you protect me from the bear?”
She shuddered. “I just don’t think it’s safe to hike alone.”
It’s not safe to cross Main Street. It’s not safe to careen down a highway at 65 mph in an aluminum can with wheels, it’s not safe to swim in the ocean, fly in an airplane, (just yesterday a passenger nearly got sucked out an airplane window.)
I recently read that the great divide in our country is between those who choose safety vs those who choose freedom. With freedom comes responsibility, risk and possibly chaos. But it also offers choice, novelty and variety. WIth safety you have order, homogeneity, predictability and constraint.
Too much freedom overwhelms us with choices, too many paths, too many products, too many ideas. Too much safety closes the door to adventure, the unknown and the other.
Each of us has our “safety standard.” I was with a friend the other day who announced she wanted to go sky diving for her 80th birthday. I shuddered and said, “That has NEVER been on my bucket list.” She grinned and said, “But imagine the feeling!”
What’s your definition of freedom? What’s your standard of safety?
When I find myself trapped between choosing freedom vs safety, when life just seems overwhelming, I generally choose to lie down and do some movement. It seems that when I let go of analysis and rumination and pay attention to the choices, constraints, and possibilitieis within my movement vocabulary, I am more able to choose the appropriate balance between freedom and safety.
If you feel like trying it - here’s a lesson that explores both freedom and constraint from my audio program The Power of the Pelvis. Enjoy!
Delightful as always! I love hiking alone, choosing that freedom over my mother's internal voice warning me of the danger.
I always could smell fear and let me tell you, it stinks! So, I opt for freedom, for risk taking and throughout my life I have found that seeking freedom forced me to discover talents I didn’t know I had. To answer your question; freedom yes but with awareness.