Land of the Free

I've always scoffed at the term 'Land of the Free'; because I've always thought the exact opposite, in terms of America. Land of bills to pay, Land of tickets from policemen for making a wrong turn, Land of un-necessary taxes, Land of too many damn rules, if you ask me! To me, these people weren't free at all. They couldn't drink on the beach, or cross the street whenever they wanted. They couldn't yell in a bank or make jokes about bombs on airplanes. They couldn't walk around in swim-suits and dive off cliffs, or walk on grass or dance suggestively in the streets! Not only were these people not free in my eyes, but they were also a little bit paranoid. But who's perfect? If they thought they were free, then by George let them think that way.

But yesterday, funnily enough, I came to a realization that yes, even though these people were in fact living under paranoid rules, the fact of the matter was, that they were indeed free. That was it, they really thought that way. It was all in the mind! Let me explain…

You see, this epiphany came in I suppose not the strangest of places, but in acting class… My classmates were excellent. They were loose, they were loud, they were lewd, they used foul language, they laughed out loud, and they were, in few words, very, very free! This was why there were so many rules here, because Americans had the freedom to be who they wanted to be with their beings. Who cared if people thought they were nuts, they were wild, that was just it, they don't care about what people think of them. And so, to keep dreadful accidents from happening, due to all this extreme freedom, the law makers and forefathers of their country had to put some rules in place.

I sadly however, was quite the opposite. I am not American. I sit with my legs crossed, and say please thank-you, excuse-me and sorry. I flinch when people use the 'F' word too frequently, I speak softly and think about the words I'd use, and I would never, ever, ever, dare to speak out of turn or too much. I have so much control. So much training, so much etiquette; I was a ballerina, spinning in a world of hip-hop. And this is why other countries and my country had fewer rules. The people in charge didn't very well expect us to attempt to jump off buildings or abuse alcohol on the beach; for my people were passive. We happily followed the rules and cared about the repercussions of what would happen if we didn't follow the rules. Yes, we were all domesticated animals, a gentler kind of race. And well Americans; they were animals, animals that actually roamed free.

So I stand corrected. It truly is the land of the free and home of the brave. Because no matter how many stupid rules there are here, these people are free of mind and soul, and they truly express themselves however they see fit.

God Bless America!

Yes, it would be harder than I thought to un-learn everything I've learnt, to turn myself on and off, so many years of chewing with my mouth closed, and caring about others feelings. But if I wanted to be a successful actor, I needed to re-incarnate myself as many times, and the only way I could do that, is to be free. Free like an animal, running wild, naked, and uninhibited. I needed to be like an old lady, tired, worn-out, and sitting with her legs open.