We all talk about freedom. We all want freedom. Many wars have been fought over the word freedom. To those that have served their countries, I Thank You!

When I first heard Buddy Up community's word of the week was Freedom my mind went right to the Janis Joplin song Me and Bobby McGee. The words to the song and Janis Joplin's voice always made me 'Turn 'er Up!' on the radio. Singing badly at the top of my lungs along with Janis, driving ninety miles per hour in my car down country roads was so freeing you could taste it.

Hair blowing, open car windows, and speed, is the best-freeing feeling one can sometimes hope for. A car filled with gas means you have the freedom to choose where you want to go. What path you want to take. Do you take the fast way to where you want to go that day or the slow country drive? A car and a song can make you feel free for a little while.

Once your drive is over, you go back to life responsibilities. Make sure you enjoy the drive.

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Responsibilities.

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The essence of Janis's song is so true. The more you have the less freedom you have. There are pros and cons to giving up your freedom for life responsibilities. One huge pro for me was having my son. I can not imagine my life without him being a part of it. When I had my son I gave up the freedom of only taking care of myself.

It was worth everything I gave up to raise him and be lucky enough to be his Mom.

The longer you stay in one place to live, the more likely for you to have "STUFF". The bigger the stuff, the more freedom you give up. The bigger the stuff, the bigger the bills to pay for the stuff. The bigger the bills, the more you work covering the cost of the stuff. The more you work, the less time you have to spend with the people you love. I put stuff in the cons area.

Janis Joplin was a very smart woman and voiced correctly many truths in her song if you listened clear enough.

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Spending so much time held down by responsibilities, good and bad, can last you a lifetime or like the beautiful 80-year-old soul, in the YouTube video below, your time to shine comes around once again.

If you do not know Paddy's story do yourself a favor and watch the whole video right below. The video gave me chills by the end. It also reminded me of the importance of looking around at your life and reassessing what is important and what isn't.

Watching Paddy 'flying free' is something I will never forget. Paddy did what the world expected of her until her husband passed away. She then decided to follow a life long dream she had set aside when she married. Before she started on her dream she went so far as to ask her four children if they minded. Paddy raised wonderful children. I know this because they encouraged her to follow her dream.

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Freedom means many things to many people. To never have tasted freedom would be my downfall. One song by a woman, who died too young, can bring back the taste of freedom for me. I can not ask for more than that. It might be less than some people have but it is more than others have.

The best part? Nothing can take that feeling away from me.

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