Free to Roam

Going out whenever you want, saying whatever you want, eating whatever you want, drinking whenever you feel a little down about yourself. Going to party when homework is not yet completed, procrastinating until a time bomb starts ticking in your mind, studying in the early hours of the morning until you can no longer keep your eyelids open. And after you’ve decided the struggle was over, you'd go home to a family that always welcomes you, always supports you, always loves you. That’s where the true fun begins. Then perhaps, later on, you decide that’s enough nurturing from the parents, so you go out and find someone for yourself, eventually get married because it’s just so surreal and so exciting. It’s a soulmate after all. And eventually a job is knocking on your doorstep, you accept it, and at last, financial security, job security, home security, love security, who needs this life insurance? Don’t take away my car insurance though. You’ll never know what new adventure I might encounter on the roads.

You start a family, make friends with another couple, and a few years later, your children are growing up, you even start sending out family Christmas cards of your own, or ones that express your respective holiday greeting. And you compile family photos and see your children grow into their own predilections: a certain TV show, sport, musical instrument, extracurricular activity, a certain school subject. Then you see them graduate and we all gather again for one last celebration before you let your children go. Boy, how time flies.

But now imagine all of that in complete darkness. You can’t go out whenever you want; it doesn’t matter if you’re depressed. Because there is a war going on out there, constant gunfire. It could be reality, but it doesn't have to be. You're helpless. Everyday you hide so you can avoid being shot, whether figuratively or not. Trusting anyone is out of the question, you can only trust yourself. Because at this time, everyone is fearful of the truth; now is not the time to be wrong. One blatant mistake and you're as good as dead. It's difficult to sleep at night. Food is sparse and water meager. But don't look now, any one can be an arm reach away from stealing everything you have. You're not in prison, but in this environment, it's just as confined. Nowhere to run. Imagine having to protect a family from the hatred of men and the chaos on the battlefield. Thousands are killed left and right, the fate of the natives bleak. You don't ever know if you'll see your neighbors again, let alone your friends. They don't have hope. They just have one wish: to live. Do you know what it's like to have no one believe in you? To have no one care? People that only know criticism and ignorance? Do you know what it's like to have everything crumble before your eyes? Look at you, you have a family and a home. I don't even know if I'll be here tomorrow. I just plead to my people to stop fighting. Between the mysteries of love and war, I'd rather miss someone than lose him or her, forever.

In both situations, we're free to roam. But one lives with lavish dreams, the other in relentless nightmare.