Freedom

There is a lot to be done to obtain freedom. If you want financial freedom, you have a lot of hard work to do before that day comes. Sometimes, during the journey, you wonder if it's really worth it. It reminds me of crossing under the highway as a child. My brothers and I lived in Columbia, MD and I-95 stood between us and the mall. We didn't want to get splatted like in Frogger and that's what would have happened if we took the high road. So, since we had permission to go to the mall (and we had bus money to go to the mall but knew that it could be movie money or soda money or candy money if we didn't spend it on the bus), we just had to get there another way. We took the drain that ran under the highway. It was definitely big enough for us to walk through. Another family with 3 kids about our ages showed us how to get to the mall through the tunnel before but this was our first time going through without them. So, we have a goal. We have a plan. Now, we just have to execute.

We get to the opening of the drain and go in. So far, so good. It's well lit at the beginning. And it's not too muddy or yucky because it hasn't rained in a while. We start to walk through. You can't really see the other side yet. It's a very small light spot. As we get to the middle, you can't really see behind you very well (just in case you want to bail out) and the footing is a lot more squishy. You can hear lots more sounds around you. This is the part that is directly under I-95. So, trucks and cars are whizzing by overhead. Our pace always quickened at that point. It wasn't fun in the middle and you really just wanted to be through by that time. As we got closer to the other side the terrain changed again. It was crisper and crunchier under our feet and the light was brighter again. All of the anxiety that you felt would melt away especially if you could see that the drain cover ( a big metal mesh end cap) was open. If you approached the end and the drain cover was closed, we would try together to push it open. If it was locked (like it should have been so that kids wouldn't walk through there to get to the mall in the first place), we would have to go all the way back and use our bus money the way it was intended. That's a pretty tiring experience. And so is the pursuit of freedom.

It sucks that the economy is taking a downturn and I am on the road to financial freedom. That will make the journey a little bit harder. But I am determined to get there. I don't want to have to turn back but there's a possibility that there will be a few turnarounds on the road. But I am determined to get there. No matter how other people try to influence me. Just getting started, I am getting tired. But once I get into a good rhythmn, I think I will be OK. So, wish me luck as I head into the tunnel.