As I sit here to write the clock turns over, it's 11:29 pm, the kids are sleeping, and I feel like I am chained to this desk. This is not a very free feeling. Not that I don't want to connect with the amazing people of Steemit, but the reality is the needs of my family always come first. I often wonder if I've created my own personal prison where I am trapped in a perpetual cycle of punching the proverbial clock.
Do I want too much? Am I making poor decisions? Have I bitten off more than I can chew? The questions are endless, and truthfully, most days I am just too exhausted to answer them anyway. So instead, I will just continue down this path I've paved because the light at the end of the tunnel is independence which is as close to freedom as I can ask for right now. And so I type.
In the fourth Freedom Challenge 
Mrs. Canadian Renegade here again with another dose of reality.
When I close my eyes and dare to dream about my ideal life, I picture myself sitting on a porch, staring out into rolling hills where the trees are fruiting and the garden is lush. Matthew is sitting beside me, I can hear my children laughing near by and the dog barks playfully in the distance. My chest feels light, unburdened by impending bills, or whether or not I will find enough work for the month. Our bellies are full and our hearts are light and we never struggle to find time to be together as a family.
Perhaps, I don't want so much after all. But if a simple country life, rich with connection, is all I desire then why am I struggling to get there and to feel free?
If you have been following along and read What Freedom Means to Me, What Holds Me Back From Being Free, and How I Express My Freedom you'll be familiar with how we feel about the tangled web that government regulation can weave. I equate the government to overbearing parents who take your dreams and drown them in red tape, all in the name of what's best or at least what someone else thinks is best for you.
In all honesty, I believe my life would look much like it will in five years if I lived in a free world.
In a free world, we would have the pleasure of accessing a free market. The people would decide the value of goods and services and business owners and workers would be more inclined to offer quality rather than cutting corners to make a buck.
If we're really being honest, trying to eek out a living has become increasingly difficult, and the cost of running a business can be astronomical. It's no wonder so many people take short cuts where they can see them. I know I am guilty. I buy the least amount of equipment to get the job done. I take risks by sending projects to the printer without proofing them because printers, ink, paper, and calibrating tools are both expensive to purchase and maintain.
Without the banks creating loans from thin air and convincing people to live beyond their means, all for the sake of being a home owner, housing markets wouldn't bubble and property would be more affordable. One might even wonder if neighbourhoods might not become so dilapidated if their residents spent their money on maintenance rather than increasing property taxes.
Without the shackles of government regulations, we would spend more time with our loved ones and less time filling out paperwork. Instead of our funds being squandered on countless permits, property tax and income tax, we would have more to give back to the community; we could support more local businesses and charities than we already do.
Photo by Giving back to the community isn't just hindered financially either. The government has a way of ensuring they are in control of how we help others which is a real disservice to communities. They restrict fresh food donations, and the ability to open your home to strangers citing potential food poisoning and fire hazards. The truth is there are an endless what if's but we shouldn't let that prevent us from helping our neighbours.
In other words, if I lived in a free world the journey to buying land and building a house would be much quicker. In a free world, we would be at less risk of overextending ourselves in the process of establishing a working permaculture farm and orchard. In a free world, living comfortably, unburdened by the fear of debt, would be more obtainable. In a free world, we would be have the ability to help our neighbours generously and in a way that could make a real difference. In a free world, our time would be spent chasing our kids instead of chasing a dollar.
