Feel Free to Be You!

 "If you are free, you need to free somebody else."

--- Toni Morrison

Up in Montana, Julie and I feel free.  That would not have been a remarkable statement for us at any other time in America, but it seems significant now, in an age when we all find ourselves living in unprecedented times.

For the last year, "two weeks to flatten the curve" resulted in our freedoms being restricted indefinitely.

While I may wear a bandana or scarf over my face on our long walks this winter, that's because it is practical when temperatures dip down to about zero, Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Yes, in fall we would raise face coverings when we approached occasional hikers or mountain bikers sharing the trails, just to be courteous, but the smiling eyes we passed told us they still believe in freedom, too.

Most evenings, we cook our usual rotation of meals using chicken breasts or ground lean beef or turkey, but when we feel like going out for dinner in Montana, it's not a big deal.  We wear a mask to the table, where upon being seated we become free Americans.  And they don't make us sit outside.

A new restaurant, Tips Up, opened last week just a short walk from our Big Sky home to rave reviews.  Capped at 50% capacity, there's plenty of room for everyday people to enjoy normal life, the kind of life that political elites feel free to flaunt at the French Laundry and resorts beyond the reach of average sheep told to "follow the science" and behave by sitting at home watching TV for the latest fear topic.

I hear that Governor Newsom in California as well as other blue state governors who had locked out restauteurs, hair dressers, gym owners and other service providers from their livelihoods have decided to re-open.

Let's hope it isn't too little too late.

Many if not most independent entrepreneurs in once-booming blue metropolises have been forced to close permanently.  Some of the bravest have moved to Florida or other free states, but having lost their life savings, most will simply give up the dream for now.

I saw an ad on facebook offering capital to fund new businesses.  Who in their right mind would look to borrow money to open a business in this current environment?

Free Americans with a Capitalism A.

Remember, no matter how they spin it, we still have freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights, and there are still some states that respect that.

However, it turns out that many people prefer to live with restricted freedoms in the name of greater safety.  If you are among those, please feel free to stay home.

Why risk going outside at all if you are truly afraid?

No one is forcing you to embrace real life.  Stay home.  Vegetate.

I personally don't particularly enjoy crowds anyway, and hearing that the vast majority of people now say they will no longer participate in activities with large crowds just means when we do go out, there will less likely be hordes of people pushing in all around us.  

Years ago, I found that I prefer small venues for live music with less well-known artists, usually without an admission fees, rather than stadium concerts that I loved when I was in college.

This morning in my crossword puzzle, the quote at the top from Oprah's favorite author Toni Morrison was interlaced among the other clues to help complete the puzzle, and as someone who always listens to my crossword puzzle, I felt compelled to pass the word on to you.

If you want to be free, be free.  And if you want to stay home, feel free to stay home.

My only request is to please stop telling other people to do as you say, not as you do.

Waiting to get permission to continue your life could take forever, if you strictly "follow the science."

You might want to ask yourself a question posed by Al Stewart in an album I bought at Platterpuss Records back when I was in college.  "What's Going On?"