Freedom Lessons From a Chicken

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The wily fox slunk through the underbrush, darted quickly into my yard, grabbed a hen, and dashed back into the woods. The only signs of the attack were a pile of feathers and the cacophony of sound from the remaining chickens.

To unfold the mystery of this caper one must look to the owner of said chicken and to certain decisions which he made that led to the demise of this hen. As a keeper of poultry, I like to let my birds graze from the grass in my yard. The chickens get better feed and more exercise. My feed bill is also cheaper. There are risks of course, neighborhood dogs or foxes can prey on my flock.

Since the attack occurred I have kept the brood locked in their pen and plan to until I can solve the problem of said vixen. My poor chickens have lost their freedom because I have a security issue.

The parallels that can be drawn from this scenario hit real close to home. Looking back to many of the tragic events caused by terrorists we can see the knee-jerk reactions which followed them. After 9/11 our government set up a huge new bureaucracy in the Dept. of Homeland Security. Under this umbrella our airports turned into quasi-military establishments. Privacy rights were trampled upon in the form of new wire-tapping laws ans unwarranted surveillance. While many see this as making us safer, I see these events as a great loss of freedom.

Another example of this occurred following the bombing of the Boston Marathon. The city of Boston was essentially put under martial law in the name of protecting its citizens from danger. Warrant-less house to house searches were conducted regardless of their constitutionality.

I know you've heard all this from the "fringe", but I also see some real problems with this. We seem to be all about freedom and our rights until there is an emergency. When something bad happens the government doesn't seem to have a problem with trampling on those rights. We are a less free people since these two events happened. In this sense, the terrorists won and we lost, even after twelve years of war trying to prove other wise.

The government seems to look at us like their flock of chickens. Do we dumbly go along because they know what is good for us or do we stand up and say, wait a minute? Do we question the loss of freedom that has occurred? Is more supposed security really worth being "penned up" inside more government regulation?

The American people need to put down their "foot" and say enough is enough. Freedom involves risk, no government program can take the risk away, but repeated attempts to do so by government, have resulted in minimal changes to risk and great lessening of freedom. Until we decide that we aren't a flock of chickens, our perceived masters will see us as such and keep trying to "save" us. I for one don't want to see a world without risk, for if and when that happens, there will also be no freedom and that will be the greatest tragedy.

The Best Things In Life Aren't Free

image courtesy of PatriotIcon.org

Free truck, come pick it up. 555-5555. This was my Craigslist ad the other day when I was trying to get rid of a junk car from the yard of a home I was rehabbing. I received twenty calls in 35 minutes. The car was gone within two hours. I was floored by the response. Why would so many people want a junk car?

I believe it's because we have become a culture of people wanting something for nothing. We eat terrible food because our kids get a free toy with the meal. We expect our children to get a free education and then complain because they didn't learn much. We expect to remain free, but are we willing to do what it takes to remain so?

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day. Many of us will go camping or have a barbecue, without really thinking about why we can do so. Do we stop and reflect on those who sacrificed all so we can be a free people?

Do we think about the Pilgrims who colonized our shores? Are the heroes of the Revolution in our thoughts? Do we reflect on the soldiers of the Civil War who fought to keep our country united? How about the millions who gave their lives in WWI, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, and the seemingly endless campaigns of the Middle East? Do we think on those who may not have died in our service but who lived their lives working to keep us free?

Without taking these thoughts to heart we cannot appreciate the immense sacrifice made for us. I always hear people saying how we are so blessed to live in a free country. I agree we are blessed to live here in such prosperity. I worry that we think that this will always be our state. We seem to think that our freedom will be perpetual.

We can only remain free if we jealously guard the freedoms we have and work to become more free. Each and every day we need to spread the message of freedom. We need to become involved in our local governance. The first thing we must do is govern ourselves properly so that the government doesn't need to do it. We need to stop feeling entitled to anything.

The free car I gave away was a piece of junk as are most things we get free in life. The best things are always those which come most dear. This Memorial Day I hope we can reflect on the sacrifice made for us. I hope we can ponder on what our great grandchildren will think of us in their reflections. Will we be remembered as the generation that turned things around? Or will we be remembered as the one who let freedom slip through our hands?

I think we will be great in their eyes, so let's start paying the price now. Freedom is the greatest blessing and it comes at the highest price.

Drive Your Friends Crazy!

That guy drives me nuts! You've seen him, I know you have. Walking around, stupid grin on his face, oblivious of what's going on all around him. How could he be so darn happy all the time?

Putting the aggravation aside for a moment, could he know something we don't know? Is life easier for him? Does he have lots of cool stuff?

The difference between him and us is that he found out one of the great secrets of life. Happiness is a choice we make.

We all have challenges great and small. We can allow them to get us down or we can choose to be happy through the them.

I'm not saying that we just dumbly ignore them. According to my wife, challenges are the whole purpose of life. All of our best progress comes during trying times. These are the times when we innovate and learn. So instead of getting us down, when we are in the midst of a trial should be our best moments. It means that good things are coming, we are getting pumped up for the next big opportunity.

By choosing happiness we accept the challenge into our lives. We embrace it and it becomes a positive force. Letting trials get us down is what keeps us from progressing. Self-pity never got anyone anywhere.

So here's the challenge, next time things aren't going so good, put on that smile and chuckle. The bumps in life will keep on coming, why be miserable, be like the smiley guy. I guarantee life will be easier if we choose to laugh at it.

Live Life on Purpose

While hiking up a steep canyon, gun on my shoulder and pack on my back, I became extremely thirsty. I rested a moment in my quest for the high ridge and reached in my pack for a drink of water. As the water hit my tongue I felt this feeling of revulsion in my throat. The water had become warm and stale during the long day. I drank from sheer need but without enjoyment, barely quenching my thirst.

Jesus taught that we should be either hot or cold, if we were lukewarm we should be spit out.

It's easy to become wishy-washy in life. If you find yourself in this situation it is time to jump off the fence and stand up for your life. When you live your life on purpose, you're liable to ruffle some feathers. When we live on purpose we will find those who disagree with what we are doing. They will know what we are about. They will taste our water, so to speak, and it will not be spewed out. The flavor may be good or bad to them, but it won't be flat and tasteless.

Give some flavor to the world, live your life on purpose.

Don't Let Cows Get in Your Way

"Mom, why are you cutting off the end of the ham before you cook it? Because that's the way my mother did it. But why did she do it? I don't know dear, she just did. Oh, okay... Mom, can I call Grandma?"

"Um, sure."

"Grandma, why do you cut off the end of the ham before you cook it? Well dear, my roasting pan is too small for the whole ham"

Do you do things because that's the way things have always been done? An honest examination of our behaviors can reveal habits or practices that are perpetuated with no real reason. Some of these behaviors can be damaging. Many can impede you from going where you want to go.

In his book, "Killing Sacred Cows", Garrett Gunderson explores many of the financial myths that he says are keeping us from going where we want to go financially.

He teaches that you need to gauge your financial success, not by net worth, but by "human life value." In other words, is what you are working for making you happy, are you fulfilled and living your purpose?

If not you should reevaluate what you're doing.

A good honest look at your self can be painful, but truly great change can only begin with that first step.

Are you living the life you want to live? Are you making the difference you know you can make? If not then let this be a wake-up call. Life is short, make the most of it.

Double-bit Therapy

Wood chips flew as the axe sunk deeply into the soft green log. So badly, at times, he wanted to just be like everyone else. Why couldn't he relax after a long hard day? Something within kept at him until he was driven from the house out to the log pile. It had been this way for years.

You might think he was just out for some fresh air or exercise. He didn’t need it, cutting trees all day keeps you in top shape.

Looking back, I believe he was restless. While mopping his brow, his eye would wander to the mountains, much like the mountain men of yesteryear. Given the choice, I believe he would have trekked off into them with his “possibles bag” and his gun. The responsibilities of a family kept him grounded, but I think he never quite felt like he was living the life that would have pleased him most.

Later in life, he channeled some of that energy. He built a business with his sons. He ran a trap-line (to satisfy the mountain man). He educated himself, served in his church and wrote poetry.

Poetry? From the man who couldn’t relax? This may seem odd until you realize that everything he did was an effort to tell his story.

I don’t know if my father ever felt at ease with himself. He slowed down in his later years but that same old restlessness still persisted. I don’t think he realized all he had accomplished. His persistent effort to tell his story lifted his family out of poverty. He opened the way of spiritual fulfillment to his family and many friends. He instilled a love of learning in his son.

The story he told was messy and challenging. I don’t know that it was the story he wanted to tell. All I know is because he had the courage to keep telling it, lives around him were changed for the better.

When your story gets messy and the challenges mount up, keep swinging your axe. You never know where the chips will fall.

Snow Glorious Snow!

April 7, 2013... Here I am gazing out my window as the snow slowly sifts past my window. Yes, I said April 7 and snow in the same breath. The funny thing is, I know Spring will come, someday, it always does. Within a few weeks from today Summer will spring forth in all its glory. New leaves will erupt from those dead looking trees which surround us, sentinels of the cold winter. Since the forecast is calling for even more snow, I thought I could pen a few words of encouragement for my friends in Alaska.

You folks in warmer climes are asking the obvious question. "Why do you people live there?" My answer is this; When it is 106 degrees in a couple months where you live, I'll be standing on the bank of a world class fishing river, breathless from the panoramic view of jagged mountains jutting 6000 feet straight up from sea level. The temperature will be a balmy 70 degrees and there will be nearly unlimited daylight. Life will run at a frantic pace for a few months because, frankly, I forget to go to bed.

Take heart fellow Alaskans, as my Dad always said, snow in April just makes Spring come faster. I'm not sure of his science on this subject, but it always seemed to work. Soon the glory days of Summer will be here. This is just a test to see if you have the mettle to deserve a glorious Alaskan Summer. So, hold out a little longer, winter's reign will soon be over. (Oh and if you have any pull with the Man upstairs, pray it don't rain too much.)