As the time of the Nov. 6, 2012, election approached, arrived and passed, I have been thinking a lot about the meaning of freedom.
Merriam-webster online defines freedom as:
"1 : the quality or state of being free: as
a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence."
Ahh. The absence of coercion or constraint in choice or action from the government. That sounds pretty good to me.
Let me explain.
I do not harbor any qualms about Barack Obama being elected president of the United States, just as I would not have had issues if Mitt Romney were trying that title on for size today.
Neither man was elected to be a savior. There is, in my mind, only one man who fits that bill, and Jesus was not running for office.
What does worry me is the direction our country seems to be taking, and those concerns were heightened as the elections across our nation unfolded Tuesday.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I am reminded of a line in my son's favorite movie series of all time: "Star Wars."
There is a part in one of the prequels that goes like this: "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."
Maybe it's the pioneer roots of the Plains states. Maybe it's just my upbringing.
It just seems that we used to rely more on ourselves and less on others.
Maybe I just finally grew up and paid attention. If so, I'm not sure of the moment that I awoke.
There always has been some sense of entitlement in this nation. But never before has it seemed so pervasive as it is today.
I was hoping for a sign Tuesday we are turning away from that, and we still want to stand tall and to fight for our freedom, the independence for which our forefathers secured, which makes us great even today ... to be principled and righteous.
The last few years of the economic downfall have been hard. And when it comes down to it, I have to admit I'm just a glass half-empty kind of girl.
So I think a lot about freedom.
There was a musical about Huck Finn of all things in the 1970s, and I always have remembered parts of one of the songs in that tale.
"Freedom: Man has to make his own."
Ahh. "a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action." That sounds pretty good to me.
But that's not right, either.
If we are to be humble before our God, we have to admit that we have an allegiance to our creator, that we turn toward him for our "constraint in choice or action."
Government serves a purpose, and there are those who are served well by it and by the compassion of a people that comprise it.
But when we begin to turn toward the government as our God, then the freedom that our true Father gave us is refused. We become lower than the animals for they know to whom to turn.
Independence is a gift we should not squander.
Somehow I pray we find that we as a nation find that path of freedom again; until then I walk it the best I can and never let my eyes stray for fear I, too, will lose the path.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Nothing to do? Don't even get me started ... too late
Nothing to do in Enid. Wow, how many times have I heard that line.
The simple truth in most instances is that line is a cop-out for adults who don't want to take their kids to do anything in Enid.
We may not be the entertainment capitol of the world, but there is plenty to do in Enid.
Here's a pretty good start at seeing not only what is coming up but what are staples in this city: http://enidnews.com/whats2do
Most of the time, I'm missing some event Enid has to offer because I'm attending another event.
Just this week there has been activities with the hometown theater (how many cities our size boast that?) and a haunted house and there were cemetery tours, several trick or trunk events that featured games and food, a downtown Scare on the Square extravaganza, not to mention how many homes turned on their porch lights and bought hundreds of dollars of candy and treats just so costumed munchkins can live the good life and make some Norman Rockwell-style memories.
And while some may say this week was an exception I would disagree. On a normal week there is a science museum and park where kids can spend hours playing and even "hiding" from parents in a park-style maze, parks where kite-flying and playgrounds will keep children happy.
OK, those are fine for little kids, but they are easily pleased. What about older kids? Those who people say tend "to get in trouble" because there is nothing to do.
Well, the sky's not even the limit in Enid, as there is an observatory where you can view the stars (again, how many cities boast that?) and that same theater that always seems to be readying for its next production.
There are two free — did I say free? Yes, I did — splash pads and a water park that is a good place to cool off in the summer. There are go-carts and miniature golf and regular golf and bike and walking trails. There are museums and area state parks and lakes and wildlife and hiking. There is talk of a larger community park and an off-road vehicle facility.
There still is a lot for children to get involved with in this city from church missions and youth activities to sports such as karate, YMCA leagues. There are professional activities such as summer internships and jobs.
There are skating and bowling, movies and video games.
It's not easy. It's much easier to stay at home and grouse about the city and it's poor selection of activities.
But, it's not true, and staying involved in local associations, charities, schools, businesses, non-profits and even government is much more fun and fulfilling.
The simple truth in most instances is that line is a cop-out for adults who don't want to take their kids to do anything in Enid.
We may not be the entertainment capitol of the world, but there is plenty to do in Enid.
Here's a pretty good start at seeing not only what is coming up but what are staples in this city: http://enidnews.com/whats2do
Most of the time, I'm missing some event Enid has to offer because I'm attending another event.
Just this week there has been activities with the hometown theater (how many cities our size boast that?) and a haunted house and there were cemetery tours, several trick or trunk events that featured games and food, a downtown Scare on the Square extravaganza, not to mention how many homes turned on their porch lights and bought hundreds of dollars of candy and treats just so costumed munchkins can live the good life and make some Norman Rockwell-style memories.
And while some may say this week was an exception I would disagree. On a normal week there is a science museum and park where kids can spend hours playing and even "hiding" from parents in a park-style maze, parks where kite-flying and playgrounds will keep children happy.
OK, those are fine for little kids, but they are easily pleased. What about older kids? Those who people say tend "to get in trouble" because there is nothing to do.
Well, the sky's not even the limit in Enid, as there is an observatory where you can view the stars (again, how many cities boast that?) and that same theater that always seems to be readying for its next production.
There are two free — did I say free? Yes, I did — splash pads and a water park that is a good place to cool off in the summer. There are go-carts and miniature golf and regular golf and bike and walking trails. There are museums and area state parks and lakes and wildlife and hiking. There is talk of a larger community park and an off-road vehicle facility.
There still is a lot for children to get involved with in this city from church missions and youth activities to sports such as karate, YMCA leagues. There are professional activities such as summer internships and
There are skating and bowling, movies and video games.
It's not easy. It's much easier to stay at home and grouse about the city and it's poor selection of activities.
But, it's not true, and staying involved in local associations, charities, schools, businesses, non-profits and even government is much more fun and fulfilling.
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