My time in Greece has come to an end and as with every international trip I have made, I have come to two conclusions. First, there are many ways one can live life. There are so many places on this earth, on the coast close to the crashing waves, in the woods surrounded by trees, on top of a mountain with a panoramic view, in a city with high population density, in a suburb with big houses and and long neighborhood streets, in a dry climate, in a wet climate, somewhere hot, somewhere cold, close to other people, far from other people, in a stone house, in a concrete house, in a wooden house…etc… The earth and the civilization humans have created is so vast and varied, providing us with a multitude of possibilities but we are the ones that are limited. We limit ourselves by national borders, by identification with certain languages and cultures, by desires for certain material objects, by preferences for certain conveniences, by placing importance on what others think, by emotional attachments to family or friends, or a big one for me, by emotional attachments to certain places. As with any aspect of our lives, sometimes we just limit ourselves by what we think in our own minds about what is possible. We forget that the world is bigger than what we see in front of us. We forget to dream.
Sometimes our limitations come through no fault of our own. Sometimes we are imprisoned by greater powers like governments and other law enforcement. Sometimes that is the consequence of our actions and sometimes it is not. Sometimes it is due to bureaucracy, politics, or greed by those in power. I dream of a world where one day those in power care about the people not in power and people of all nationalities are able to live in harmony in their own land and with others. Because this leads me to my second conclusion.
Most people just want to be happy. People all across the world want to have a life they enjoy. Some want families, some want to be alone, some want to lay in the sun, some want to run and be active. Whatever it is, everyone should have the freedom to just be. They should have the freedom to live and travel wherever they want, the freedom to be able to work and provide for themselves and their families, the freedom to take care of their themselves as they need, the freedom to spend time relaxing with loved ones or alone, the freedom to laugh and be light, the freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
All life is sacred and equal.