Let's face it; no matter how much we want to think we are "our own person", we have to admit we are to a large degree a product of our society. I'm not suggesting that that's a bad thing, but it is something that many of us just don't want to accept, especially those of you who, like me, are in the peek of the baby boomers generation. We like to believe we have some sort of freedom or independence that is unique to our generation. Who knows, maybe that's true.
Freedom can be experienced in many ways. Traditionally, especially during Thanksgiving, we think of freedom in regards to political or religious issues. This is a great time to contemplate on that perspective. However, that is not what this commentary is about.
People who know me and my family know we are "lake people". We love to go to lakes and swim, fish, boat, ski, and just experience the beauty of a fresh, clean Minnesota lake. I have always loved vacationing at a lake, and I now own a cabin on a beautiful lake in central Minnesota. It is a place of peace and enjoyment for my entire family. But let's get back to the idea of freedom. In this case I am not referring to political or religious freedom, but to total freedom. So what the hell does that mean?
Approximately twenty years ago I was vacationing at a lake with my family. My children were very young, and I would like to say that I was too. One evening my wife and I sat by the fire on the shore of the lake and were mesmerized by the incredible stars in the sky. We could actually see the glow down the center of the Milky Way (very cool - recommended for anyone who hasn't seen it).
We put the kids to bed and soon after my wife went to bed too. I still had to tie up our boat before the night was over, and as I was doing so, I was consumed with the vastness and majesty of the night sky. Without any real thought or planning, I found myself pushing the boat out into the lake. I started the motor and cruised over the glassy water far enough to feel removed from the shore entirely.
I turned the motor off and sat in silence beneath the Milky Way. I had a strange compulsion to be part of it. No, I was not feeling like I was communicating with aliens, but I was truly in the moment of this wonderful night.
With hardly a thought I removed my clothing (hey - this isn't a porno story, I was all alone out there) and I slipped into the silent water. It was one of those nights where the water was like mirrored glass. There was no breeze, it was too late for mosquitoes, and the water was refreshingly cool. I let myself drift out from the boat and rolled over on my back, floating in a relaxed position. My ears were just below the surface of the water, blocking what few sounds were emanating from the shoreline. I floated easily and breathed deeply, seeing nothing but the starlit sky, feeling little but the bobbing of the water, and hearing almost nothing.
For a moment it was as if I was floating in space. There was nothing to constrain me; I was alone, free from all tangible ties, and experiencing a sense of beauty and, yes, of total freedom, that I had not thought possible. Dare I say that I felt just a bit of a connection to God?
All good things must come to an end, so in time I swam back to the boat and cruised back to the cabin. But I never forgot that experience.
In the years since I have often repeated that event. Sometimes by myself, which is always special, but in recent years I have exposed my entire family to this wonderful experience. There are times when I have gone out into the lake at night with a few daring people, and there are times when we have actually had up to twenty people sharing in this wonderment. Even with the large number of people, the ground rules are still the same; be silent, absorb your surroundings, and experience the freedom and peace that was meant to be ours.
I don't know if anyone will ever truly be free by the precise definition of the word, but I have experienced a form of freedom that I will always treasure, and I have passed this on to my children. I'm not sure what could be more special than that.
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