On the 4th of July, 2014, I find myself fixated on the idea of freedom.

Hmmmm, fixated…not very “free” of me, is it?

That’s the point (or one of them, anyway) that occurred to me today as I ran along the trails in the Oakland Hills in Northern California.

Here I was, running free, quite literally, but I could easily allow my freedom to be co-opted by thoughts and worries that restrict and ensnare me.

As a man in recovery (for over 33 years now), I understand freedom quite well now but my understanding has changed and certainly matured over the years. For quite a while it was simply “freedom from”, as in freedom from fear of incarceration (a big fear many years ago when I was living just one step ahead of arrest) and freedom from the crushing grip of alcohol and drugs.

Now I enjoy “freedom to”, as in freedom to choose the life I live, the actions I take, the reactions I experience.

Wars have been fought and countless lives lost in pursuit of freedom from, yet everyday so many of us willingly, knowingly, give up or simply don’t exercise, our freedom to. Many more of us are sadly unaware of our choice, in fact believing we have had no choice at all.

So today, for all those who have fought for freedom, ached for it, died for it – I will honor them, by staying aware of my freedom and striving to live my life freely and fully.

Peace – and freedom – to us all.