Freedom, a lovely word, a beautiful term: so many crimes have been committed in its name! Unquestionably, the term freedom has hypnotized the masses. The mountains and valleys, the rivers and seas have been tainted with the blood conjured up by this magical word. How many flags, how much blood, and how many heroes have come to pass in the course of history whenever the question of freedom has been posed in life's scenario? Unfortunately, after achieving independence at such a high price, enslavement continues to exist within each of us. Who is free? How many have attained this famous freedom? How many have been emancipated? Alas, alas, alas! Adolescents long for freedom. It seems incredible that while having food, clothing, and shelter they should want to flee their homes in the pursuit of freedom. It is incongruous that a teenage boy who has everything he needs at home is willing to run away, to escape from his abode, fascinated with the term freedom. Strangely, despite enjoying all the comforts of a happy home, he is ready to risk everything he has to travel the world and even come to grief. It is right that the pariahs in life, the outcasts of society, the poor should be eager to quit the slums and hovels in order to seek a change for the better.

Yet, the spoiled child, the mama's boy, in search of a way out, is paradoxical and even an absurdity. However, this is how it is. The word freedom fascinates and enchants, although no one is able to define it precisely. It is logical that a young girl wants freedom, longs to move away from home, to marry in order to escape from under the parental roof and lead a better life. This is in part due to her right to be a mother. Nevertheless, once married, she finds she is not free, and with resignation she must bear the shackles of slavery. A worker, tired of so many regulations, wants to be free. Even if he achieves independence, he soon encounters the problem of continuing to be a slave to his own interests and concerns.

Certainly, each time that we fight for freedom we are disappointed, despite victory. So much blood is shed pointlessly in the name of freedom while we continue to be slaves of ourselves and of others. People fight for words they will never understand, although dictionaries give them the grammatical explanations. Freedom is something that can only be achieved within ourselves. No one can achieve it outside of themselves.