Independence Day

What it Means to Me

Having been raised in a cult where dependence on the corporeal mass is tantamount to survival independence has a special meaning to me.

On The 4th of July I celebrate the independence of America and all the good things it stands for even as I recognize her oxymoronic shortcomings with an optimism reflected by Barack Obama’s July 18, 2020 Facebook Quote:

“America is a constant work in progress. What gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further – to speak out for what’s right, to challenge an unjust status quo, and to imagine a better world.”

As individuals in America we value our independence but must remain committed to dependence on Democracy to maintain that independence or fall prey anew to the autocracy decried in the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

After I left Synanon I was afraid of independence. I didn’t know how to cope with the world without the reassurance of edicts and guidelines offered by the highly communal living arrangement Synanon provided. As a result I found ways to subjugate those fears such as falling in with a “bad” crowd and becoming dependent on drugs and alcohol.

When I was in my mid-forties I came across God and a Faith that gave me a new dependence coupled with a redefined independence that have set me free. Free from addiction. Free from co-dependence. Free from crippling anxiety. Free to live a life of freedom.

As I reflect on my gratitude for this day I feel blessed to have found these freedoms. But I also feel a sense of responsibility that comes with freedom. A responsibility to protect the rights of those who are oppressed and misrepresented by those in positions of power who exalt in suppressing those who would challenge their status quo.