"Freedom" by Bodhi Smith

Jul 04, 2022

"freedom" is my brand new impression taken just days ago to help commemorate our independence day today---happy 4th of july!
 
"we in the united states are free to choose, and for me that is the most beautiful of all of our freedoms" ― bodhi, freedom of choice
 
"freedom is a beautiful word when it’s spoken aloud or written on paper. but freedom is also a true state of mind and a way of living. the deeper meaning of freedom can only be known and truly experienced on a personal level" ― bodhi, freedom
 
"birds make great sky-circles of their freedom. how do they learn it? they fall and in falling, they're given wings" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul 
 
"a free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.
 
but a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
 
the caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.
 
the free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.
 
but a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
 
the caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom." 
 
"in detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty...in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning. and in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe" ― deepak chopra, buddha 
 
"born free, as free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows. born free to follow your heart. live free and beauty surrounds you. the world still astounds you each time you look at a star. stay free, where no walls divide you. you're free as the roaring tide, so there's no need to hide" ― andy williams, born free
 
"breathe in, we are from heat. the electric one. does it shock you to see he left us the sun? atoms in the air. organisms in the sea. the son and, yes, man are made of the same things. freedom! freedom! freedom!" ― pharrell, freedom 
 
"let's go and see the stars, the milky way or even mars. where it could just be ours. let's fade into the sun. let your spirit fly, where we are one just for a little fun. i want to get away. i want to fly away" ― lenny kravitz, fly away 
 
"we pretty much have the freedom to pretty much do as we please, so long as it does not hurt others in any way" ― bodhi, freedom
 
this first song makes us think about how freedom is granted to all americans in words, but then for certain groups, freedom is still  being withheld by the actions of close-minded prejudiced people...this tune is a powerful anthem of the civil rights movement. it describes the struggles and hopes of those living in a restrictive society, whose personal freedom is limited because of their skin color, economic standing, or social background...sung by one of my all-time favorite artists in her silky jazz style, here is: "i wish i knew how it would feel to be free by nina simone ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the musical selection)...

"i wish i knew how it would feel to be free. i wish i could break all the chains holding me. i wish i could say all the things that i should say, say 'em loud, say 'em clear for the whole round world to hear...i wish i could share all the love that's in my heart and remove all the bars that keep us apart. i wish you could know what it means to be me, then you'd see and agree that every man should be free...i wish i could give all i'm longin' to give. i wish i could live like i'm longin' to live. i wish i could do all the things that i can do, though i'm way overdue, i'd be starting anew...well i wish i could be like a bird in the sky. how sweet it would be if i found could fly, i'd soar to the sun and look down at the sea and i sing 'cause i know how it feels to be free...oh i know how it feels to be free. yea yea! oh, i know how it feels, yes i know, oh, i know how it feels, how it feels to be free, lord, lord, lord" ― nina simone, i wish i knew how it would feel to be free
 
"freedom is just a beautiful thing. and this independence holiday weekend really is a great chance for us all to give that a much deeper thought, and to own in our hearts what freedom means to each of us..." ― bodhi, freedom
----------------------
 
MEANING
"as a bird i'd be
free to soar above 
the clouds floating on
the wind feeling
the infinity on high.
i'd be free to fly through
the hues making the sky:
the purple and pink of
the blue hour sunrises;
the powder blue of high noon;
the red, orange, and yellow of
the golden hour sunsets;
the shimmering moon and all
the stars glowing in
the palette of midnight...
i'd be free to feel nothing but 
the freedom of all
the colors of the heavens" 
 
"freedom" is defined by merriam-webster as: "the right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint"
 
i was born free in a hospital in oceanside, california. but not everybody in this world has that luxury. and this holiday weekend is the time to reflect what exactly freedom means to each of us. it’s something which we need never take for granted…
 
today on july fourth, we celebrate the date in our history when we became our own country, our independence day, our first day of having the freedom to be our own nation and make our own choices as a whole based on democracy and the good of the people…it’s a day about freedom, not about watching fireworks, drinking beer, and eating noodle salad…
 
"july 4th is a day to reflect about having freedom, a day to celebrate being free in the land of the free…" ― bodhi, freedom
 
freedom is a beautiful word when it’s spoken aloud or written on paper. but freedom is also a true state of mind and a way of living. the deeper meaning of freedom truly can only be known and experienced on a personal level…
 
however even in america, it’s unfortunate that not everybody has equal freedom…so many people still rightfully feel they aren’t free due to racism, sexism, ageism, prejudice, privilege, or politics…or due economics, education, or income inequality; or due to societal constructs such as an unlevel playing field; or due to personal constraints like being in a bad relationship or having low self esteem; or due to religious values that dissuade us from certain choices; or due to circumstances that simply hold a person down…
 
and each citizen of the united States has many freedoms, but they’re not always crystal clear and pure…even though many of our universal freedoms are spelled out in the original bill of rights of our constitution, their meaning and depth is often left open to interpretation through supreme court rulings and government laws...
 
however as i personally reflect the meaning of freedom for myself, one thing is clear to me: i always have the freedom of choice. and although this basic freedom is not written directly as such anywhere in the u.s. constitution, it’s explicitly implied throughout life in this country…
 
we in the united states are free to choose, and for me that is the most beautiful of all of our freedoms. 
 
"we have the freedom of choice, and our choices of what we can choose are limitless…" ― bodhi, freedom
 
we can choose our own faith, and how to worship, and what our own beliefs are. we can chose a political affiliation and vote for whoever we like. we can choose not to choose. we can choose to just be. we can choose love. we can choose our friends and lovers. we can choose our own job and lifestyle. we can choose where we want to live. we can choose to think a certain way, and can choose to change our mind whenever we feel like it. we can choose to walk our own chosen path and change direction at any time. we can choose our own life, and choose to be whoever we want to be, and fly as free as we can…
 
i know i’m blessed to live in this country and have my freedom…
 
freedom is just a beautiful thing. and this independence holiday really is a great chance for us all to give that a much deeper thought, and to own in our hearts what freedom means to each of us...
 
and here is another wonderful song about freedom, read the deeply meaningful and beautiful lyrics and you will be able to connect this tune to my current feelings and the deeper meaning of this blog and impression today...and with it being called by the same name as my impression here today, it is absolutely perfect music to accompany my impression and blog today..."freedom" by pharrell ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...  

"hold on to me, don't let me go. who cares what they see? who cares what they know? your first name is free, last name is dom. we choose to believe in where we're from. man's red flower, it's in every living thing. mind, use your power. spirit, use your wings. freedom! freedom! freedom! freedom, freedom, freedom! hold on to me, don't let me go. cheetahs need to eat. run, antelope. your first name is king, last name is dom. cause you still believe in everyone. when a baby first breathes. when night sees sunrise. when the whale hunts in the sea. when man recognizes freedom! freedom! freedom! freedom, freedom, freedom! breathe in, we are from heat. the electric one. does it shock you to see he left us the sun? atoms in the air. organisms in the sea. the son and, yes, man are made of the same things. freedom! freedom! freedom! freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom" ― pharrell, freedom 
 
"we pretty much have the freedom to do as we please and see fit, so long as it does not hurt others in any way" ― bodhi, freedom
----------------------
 
STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
"we can choose to walk our own chosen path and change direction at any time. we can choose our own life, and choose to be whoever we want to be, and fly as free as we can…" ― bodhi, freedom of choice   
 
pictured here under the stars and the milky way, is "eagle rock" of the santa rosa mountains in southern california...
 
the rock formation is aptly named for its resemblance to the eagle on the back of the standard united states 25 cents coin, the tails side of the quarter (as it is commonly known)...it's easily recognizable, since it's a visual that people see so many times in their life when the spend a quarter, or spin a quarter, or do a coin flip with a quarter...
 
this cool little rock formation is accessible only by hiking the pacific crest trail (pct). it's viewable at about 3.5 miles to the east of warner springs, ca at the point before the trail starts heading due north up into the pretty hearty santa rosa mountains, topping out with this grueling section on san jacinto peak at 10,500 feet...
 
you can day-hike (or night hike as i did) this section of the pct with an out and back roundtrip of close to 7 miles from where pct crosses the ca-79 at warner springs, next to the california dept of forestry fire station...this portion of the hike along the pct is dog friendly, so your pup can join you on the fun as my doggie besos did on this hike...
 
but be cautious and observant when you are hike for yourself, your little ones, and you doggies, because there is some danger on the trail...as my hike had some adventure to it...three rattlesnakes were laying in the middle of the trail in the dark of the night...and on the way back, i saw numerous large tarantulas, a couple wasp hives, plus two skunks crossed our path heading down to the water in the ravine to drink...
 
the trail is mostly a moderately uphill hike the entire way to eagle rock, as it follows a spring ravine full of very shady old-grove sycamore and live oak trees... it's a very slight elevation gain of 650 feet spread over three plus miles to eagle rock, and it is tree covered and full of cool shade for the first 2 miles, making it a nice leisurely walk through a forest in a spring fed wash...
 
it took me about 1 hour and 20 mins to hike to eagle rock, and only 1 hour to cover the distance back to my vehicle the same way, making it clear to me how much easier the return trip is with it being most downhill...all in all, a very beautiful trail, but one you need to be safe and aware of your surroundings. plus carry ample water and sunscreen if you are doing the trail in the heat of the day...and you'll be rewarded with a pretty easy hike that takes you to a very unique rock formation like no other...
 
and here is another apropos tune, and it's also an academy award winning song from the movie of the same name (a truly beautiful movie), read the lyrics and you will be able to connect this tune to the deeper meaning of this blog and impression today..."born free" by andy williams ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...  

"born free, as free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows. born free to follow your heart. live free and beauty surrounds you. the world still astounds you each time you look at a star. stay free, where no walls divide you. you're free as the roaring tide, so there's no need to hide...born free, and life is worth living. but only worth living because you're born free...you're free as the roaring tide, so there's no need to hide...born free, and life is worth living. but only worth living because you're born free" ― andy williams, born free
 
"i know i’m blessed to live in this country and have my freedom" ― bodhi, freedom
---------------------
 
MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
this song, a classic alternative tune from the mid 1980s, is optimistic about the idea of freedom, with a message that freedom is best know by getting away and flying free with someone you love...this song is upbeat, reflecting a new happiness in my world recently discovered....and with its lyrics, and this image being an impression of an eagle under the stars, it's the perfect accompaniment to connect music with the meaning of my impression and blog today: "fly away" by lenny kravitz ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i wish that i could fly into the sky. so very high, just like a dragonfly. i'd fly above the trees, over the seas in all degrees to anywhere i please, oh i want to get away. i want to fly away. yeah, yeah, yeah, i want to get away. i want to fly away. yeah, yeah, yeah...let's go and see the stars, the milky way or even mars. where it could just be ours. let's fade into the sun. let your spirit fly, where we are one just for a little fun. oh, oh, oh yeah. i want to get away. i want to fly away. yeah, yeah, yeah. i want to get away. i want to fly away. yeah, yeah, yeah. i got to get away (get away, get away). girl, i got to get away (get away, get away). oh, oh, oh yeah. i want to get away. i want to fly away. yeah (with you), yeah, yeah (oh yeah). i want to get away, i want to fly away yeah (with you) yeah, yeah. i got to get away. i want to get away. i want to get away. i want to get away. i want to get away, yeah. i want to get away. i want to fly away yeah (with you) yeah, yeah. oh girl, i got to get away. i want to get away, i want to get away. i want to get away. i want to get away, yeah, i want to get away. i want to fly away yeah (with you) yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" ― lenny kravitz, fly away
 
"in life we cannot avoid change, we cannot avoid loss. freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha

"when words lose their meaning, people lose their freedom" ― confucius, the doctrine of the mean
 
"the mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. tolerant like the sky, all-pervading like sunlight, firm like a mountain, supple like a tree in the wind, he has no destination in view and makes use of anything life happens to bring his way" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"when i let go of what i am, i become what i might be. when i let go of what i have, i become free to receive what i need" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"not to desire material things is to know the freedom of spirituality" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"seek only light and freedom and do not immerse yourself too deeply in the worldly mire" ― vincent van gogh, dear theo

"find me under the milky way, soul bare and heart open. let me swim in your spirit past the sentry of time and space that stands in the way and let me love you...pull away the unworthiness etched upon your shores by those too blind to see your value and let me breathe you into the depths of myself in appreciation of all that you are. show me your solitude as i show you mine; all the parts that ache and yearn for more. let me see the facets of you longing to be traced by understanding hands full of reverence. you have the taste of my destiny on your lips and an essence that has swam in my blood since time began; a compass that navigated me wordlessly like a north star back to a safe harbor. you, the home of the soul i longed a lifetime for, the lyrics to a melody i hummed before learning all of your words...wishing only that i could give you my eyes so that you could see your own brilliant unfolding and witness your landscape that has to me become so precious. you, who comprehend the foreign language i speak that fell on deaf ears for an eternity, it’s tongues finally heard fully quenching my parched and misunderstood soil that once stood solitary and barren against the tides...planting 1000 kisses upon your naked heart in worship and in awe of your existence in this universe, i am replete with joy. if a million stars fell from the skies whispering their wishful promises into my open ear, not a single one would i entreat to change a single layer of you. let us stretch our fingers towards eternity together wrapped around dreams and laughter, souls bare and hearts open, knowing freedom at last" ― c. ara campbell (with additions by bodhi)
 
"we cede our freedom to choose by giving networks like google and facebook control of the menu" ― beau taplin
 
"how did the abandoned bicycle win its freedom?" ― pablo neruda
 
"the most fundamental message of gautama the buddha is not god, is not soul...it is freedom: freedom absolute, total, unconditional. he does not want to give you an ideology, because every ideology creates its own slavery. he does not want to give you a religion, because religion binds you" ― osho, book of wisdom
 
"the capacity to be alone is the capacity to love. it may look paradoxical to you, but it's not. it is an existential truth: only those people who are capable of being alone are capable of love, of sharing, of going into the deepest core of another person--without possessing the other, without becoming dependent on the other, without reducing the other to a thing, and without becoming addicted to the other. they allow the other absolute freedom, because they know that if the other leaves, they will be as happy as they are now. their happiness cannot be taken by the other, because it is not given by the other" ― osho, love, freedom, aloneness
 
"a mature person has the integrity to stand alone. and when a mature person gives love, he or she gives without any strings attached to it. when two mature persons are in love, one of the great paradoxes of life happens, one of the most beautiful phenomena: they are together and yet tremendously alone. they are together so much that they are almost one. two mature persons in love help each other to become more free. there is no politics involved, no diplomacy, no effort to dominate. only freedom and love" ― osho, zen: the path of paradox
 
"freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose--and commit myself to--what is best for me" ― paulo coelho, the zahir
 
"no one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. that is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it" ― paulo coelho, eleven minutes
 
"give yourself freedom to try out new things. don't be so set in your ways that you can't grow" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist
 
"the boy felt envious of the freedom of the wind, until he saw that he could have the same freedom. there was nothing to hold him back except himself" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist
 
"the only true law is that which leads to freedom, there is no other" ― richard bach, jonathan livingston seagull 
 
"you have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way" ― richard bach, jonathan livingston seagull
 
"we, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
 
love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.
 
we are weaned from our timidity
in the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
and suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
yet it is only love
which sets us free" 
 
"you only are free when you realize you belong no place—you belong every place—no place at all" ― maya angelou, even the stars look lonesome
 
"the creative spirit thrives on freedom and daring. many of history's most creative women have not been married. as for the priestesses of olden times, don't even think about it. priestesses were spiritual mermaids, and a lot of men were drowning" ― marianne williamson, a woman's worth
 
"let them imitate and imitate--and learn and learn...emotional freedom, the integrity and special quality of one's work--are not first things, but final things. only the patient and diligent, as well as the inspired, get there" ― mary oliver
 
"the chains that keep you bound to the past are not the actions of another person. they are your own anger, stubbornness, lack of compassion, jealousy and blaming others for your choices. it is not other people that keep you trapped; it is the entitled role of victim that you enjoy wearing. there is a familiarness to pain that you enjoy because you get a payoff from it. when you figure out what that payoff is, then you will finally be on the road to freedom" ― shannon l. alder
 
"some people live in cages with bars built from their own fears and doubts. some people live in cages with bars built from other people's fears and doubts; their parents, their friends, their brothers and sisters, their families. some people live in cages with bars built from the choices others made for them, the circumstances other people imposed upon them. and some people break free" ― c. joybell c.
 
"he wanted hours, days, weeks alone with her... he wanted all her thoughts and smiles and secrets. the freedom to lay his soul bare before her" ― lisa kleypas, seduce me at sunrise
 
"the path to freedom is illuminated by the bridges you have burned, adorned by the ties you have cut, and cleared by the drama you have left behind. you let go. you are free" ― steve maraboli, unapologetically you
 
"awareness is all about restoring your freedom to choose what you want instead of what your past imposes on you" ― deepak chopra, buddha
 
"love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that the laws of humanity and the phenomena of nature do not alter its course" ― khalil gibran, the prophet
 
"love does not claim possession,
but gives freedom
 
love is an endless mystery,
for it has nothing else to explain it
 
love's gift cannot be given,
it waits to be accepted" 
 
"when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of god's children, black men and white men, jews and gentiles, protestants and catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old negro spiritual: free at last! free at last! thank god almighty, we are free at last!" ― martin luther king, jr., strength to love
 
"laws alone can not secure freedom of expression; in order that every man can present his views without penalty, there must be the spirit of tolerance in the entire population" ― albert einstein
 
"where there is doubt, there is freedom" ― carl sagan, pale blue dot
 
"another glorious day in which one seems to be dissolved and absorbed and sent pulsing onward we know not where. life seems neither long nor short, and we take no more heed to save time or make haste than do the trees and stars. this is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality" ― john muir, the mountains of california
 
"unlike my father and millions of chinese, everyone in america—every man, woman and child, whether rich or poor—has the freedom to choose, freedom to shape his or her own destiny. don’t you agree that you can better manage your own life than other people can?" ― helen raleigh, confucius never said
 
"birds make great sky-circles of their freedom. how do they learn it? they fall and in falling, they're given wings" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
" i was born free in a hospital in oceanside, california. but not everybody in this world has that luxury. and this holiday weekend is the time to reflect what exactly freedom means to each of us. it’s something which we need never take for granted " ― bodhi, freedom
 
this impression was captured just off the side of the pacific crest trail on june 30th, 2022...it is comprised of two images merged together...one long exposure of eagle rock just before sunrise (f/11@24mm for 151 secs, iso-64)...and one star-tracked long exposure in the darkness just after midnight (f'/5@24mm for 420 secs, iso-500)... 
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
to get the effects and balance i was looking for in the eagle rock landscape exposure of this composition (f/11@24mm for 151 secs, iso-64), i used two progreyusa aurora filters along with the progrey g-120z antarctic holder to secure these filters to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 24mm f/1.4 prime lens ... 
 
first, a 3.0 nd progrey antarctic filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops and permit for the long 1 minute and 51 second exposure which naturally saturates all the red, green, and blue (rgb) colors in the image...
 
combined with the second filter, a 0.9 gnd progrey titan filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the sky to the left of the image, the pre-dawn light, an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows in eagle rock to come out better in the exposure... 
 
for the separate exposure of the stars i used a vixen optics polarie star tracker with vixen optics tripod attached to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 24mm f/1.4 prime lens this permitted me to be able to capture a much longer exposure of the stars and not have any star trails, which also gives such beautiful enrichment to all the colors in the night sky, plus lessens any severe coma, while at the same time permitting a much lower iso setting and thus so much less noise (f/5@24mm for 420 secs, iso-500), and no filters were necessary in the star exposure, so none were used...
 
i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with the induro (now benro) stealth carbon fiber tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhi, if nothing else
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhi, into my photography
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhi, my diary 
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhi, my world
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters...
 
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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http://www.bodhismith.com
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