The Ripening

Europe » Italy » Veneto » Venice
June 18th 2008

Published: June 19th 2008

About three years ago I walked into an Internet Café in Madras with a terrible affliction. I’d been on the road for most of my adult life and was now free and single for the first time in years, and could see no end in sight. With the last ties now severed, I was cast loose and ‘freedom from’ gave way to the uncertainty of ‘freedom to’. Yet with no clear replacement for the life I’d b... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 27, Displayed: 21

20th June 2008

Tim Johnson
non-member comment

You don't know me, but just happenned across your Blog. Some really beautiful camerawork and words. I can really associate with your feelings about freedom at the start. My only contribution to this would be, if we can achieve intellectual freedom inside, then would the other two forms of freedom mentioned (political and economic) necessarily follow?

22nd June 2008

aspiringnomad
Jason

A different kind of freedom?
Freedom from political and economic ties is negative freedom - a ‘freedom from’ the restrictions placed on humanity by other people or institutions. Whereas Intellectual freedom, leads to a positive freedom, and the real challenge is knowing what to do with this ‘freedom to’ “People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have. For example, the freedom of thought. Instead they demand freedom of speech as compensation”. Søren KierkegaardWhich I think is borne out in this quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn "It is easier to have freedom of thought in a concentration camp than in America today."

23rd June 2008

Tim Johnson
non-member comment

Pertinent points. I read a quote recently 'In the Western world we have freedom of choice, just nothing to choose from'. Intellectual freedom may be partially achieved, but glimpses of 'freedom to' are scary and lead us to grasp onto something concrete, which is lack of economic freedom. Just realised you say this in your post and this contradicts my first comment! But perhaps this awareness of economic constraints and the choices it presents is in itself a freedom, even if we choose security?

17th July 2008

Marie
non-member comment

Picture
I absolutely love your picture of the canal in Venice. I subscribed to your blog page so that I can come back and read some about where you have gone and how you are doing it.....

31st December 2010

The Travel Camel
Shane Dallas

Stunning use of light - excellent photo!

Tot: 0.062s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 9; qc: 21; dbt: 0.0301s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb

Do not copy images or text from this page without requesting and receiving permission. All rights are reserved by the author and photographer.

Contact Jason (aspiringnomad) - a lack of a response does not mean that you have permission to use material from this page.

The Ripening

Copyright Notice: All Rights Reserved