Happy 4th of July

This year marks the 250 years of the birth of the United States, a place founded by ideas more than actual events. Ideologies in the United States are many, and each individual one has a history, beginning with freedom and all the way to how we raise the children we decide to have or not. I am pleased and happy to say I am an American, a place where I am free to think and to express myself.

There have been times in the history of the United States where people have been misunderstood, based on situations we deem as right or wrong. The basic foundation of the phrase “In God We Trust” encompasses the desire for people to believe that the actions we take are the closest to the ones which will not hurt others, which will not interfere with other people’s lives and which will allow us to be free in our minds.

Sometimes, we carry ghosts, they are very difficult to get rid of, as we try to understand ourselves, our actions, our past. Ghosts are quite difficult to deal with, and I have acquired a few, unfortunately. This concept was mentioned to me once by a counselor who was dealing with my very difficult decision of whether to seek divorce or not. I didn’t know what to say when he said this to me. But now, I realize what this encompasses, it means that as adults we become very cohibited and we learn ways which hinder us from freedom.

Freedom means having the possibility to act on our instincts and not owing a reason or an excuse to anyone. I noticed my server yesterday. I was at a pub grabbing drinks and I met a set of pretty cool people, some from the United States, some from Asia, some from Colombia. I was delighted to see we were all very happy merrily drinking away, our bartender was not, he owed us a comfortable space, a smile, and service. And I didn’t like the idea of having to be in his shoes.

The United States means a composition of a variety of people, who understand the same language and who are driven by a similar set of ideas. Without radicalizing idealism, the United States has a history of painful memories for many, not just minorities. The time I have lived here has made me realize that we are all made of the same elements, in mind and body, and in that, I recognize, what happens to someone is also part of my suffering. As Buddhism goes, life is suffering, only when life ends will the suffering end. 

We must live like we are dying, and the United States is a place where this idea can be incorporated. It is not easy to get rid of ghosts, of inequality, of oppression, of racism; however, when we attempt to fix this issues in the present time, we win, we get rid of those ghosts and we are able to overcome past events that have defined us, and which are difficult to deal with not only on the day to day living, but also on a greater scale of politics, justice and society. 

As 4th of July ends, I am wishing all Americans a Happy Independence Day, filled with hope, change and particularly freedom to think. To you and me America!