Liberty or death

I've been thinking a lot about independence lately, both with regards to my own life, but also as it pertains to the various places I have visited over the last couple months. For example, a few days ago I was driving down MainStrasse in Covington, Kentucky, and I noticed the image of a Gadsden flag on a banner outside one of the cute little shops.

Forgive me, but I have to share just a little bit of trivia here. Apparently, the Gadsden flag, as the yellow flag with the rattlesnake and the words don't tread on me is known, was one of the first American flags, before Old Glory. Here is a site with all kinds of interesting information on it, if you're curious.

When I was 12 Metallica released their black album. Hard to overstate the impact it had on me. I know, I know, it's butt rock, and lots of people don't dig it. For the most part I've moved on, but every now and then I get a little nostalgic. Recently, I can't seem to get this one particular song out of my head. I encourage you to give it a chance. Here are the lyrics. Liberty or death, it begins.

We Americans are so focused on liberty and freedom, on independence. Perhaps I'm more focused on it than most. Part of the reason I was able to take this trip is that there is so little to inhibit my freedom these days. I can hear Janis Joplin singing about having nothing left to lose...

When I was in Switzerland a few weeks ago, reading up on Morocco, and having just come from Nepal, it occurred to me that all three of these rather different countries are often described as being fiercely independent. But that independence takes a very different form from what I'm used to here in the United States. Maybe it is that here we associate independence with individuality, whereas in these other places there is no such association. There is so much more of a focus on community and on relationships, certainly in Nepal and Morocco, but I think even in Switzerland, as well.

This is just one of the many things that I have been meditating on as I have been making the transition back to the real world. How much independence do I want or need at this point in my life? How will I choose to assert my individuality? I can still rock out to Don't tread on me, but maybe I can learn something from the Nepalis and Moroccans--and Swiss?--too, about how to live as a part of a larger community.