My recent stay in intensive care got me thinking, not for the first time, about freedom. I have been in hospital enough times (and prison once - it was in Greece, and a hideous miscarriage of justice - honest guv), to relish my freedom more than just about anything in the world.
This post is neither particularly original nor insightful, but really - just how lucky am I, and other women my age, and younger, to be living when and where we do? I'm not talking about idiotic freedoms (like the one to bear arms, for example), but it simply wouldn't be much of a barrel of laughs to be female, or indeed homosexual, in so many parts of the world, right now. Lest we forget our own heritage, it wouldn't have been much of a rollicking ride to be female or gay in this country - say - 50 years ago; well, pre-pill, and legalisation, anyway.
I don't think feminism has achieved everything yet (FGM? People trafficking? Jeeeez), and the selfie/twerking/me me me culture of the under 20s is breathtakingly depressing, but just for once I wanted to express how bloody lucky I feel to be living where and when I do.
And this is probably more a reflection of my age than anything else, but it is surely no coincidence that a lot of my favourite choons contain the words 'freedom' or 'free'.
Here are some of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PAXDHd9gkY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDK2svrGG_c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2IpJBZEosk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s09WA_FR5_k
What are your favourite freedom songs? I'd love to hear them.
This post is neither particularly original nor insightful, but really - just how lucky am I, and other women my age, and younger, to be living when and where we do? I'm not talking about idiotic freedoms (like the one to bear arms, for example), but it simply wouldn't be much of a barrel of laughs to be female, or indeed homosexual, in so many parts of the world, right now. Lest we forget our own heritage, it wouldn't have been much of a rollicking ride to be female or gay in this country - say - 50 years ago; well, pre-pill, and legalisation, anyway.
I don't think feminism has achieved everything yet (FGM? People trafficking? Jeeeez), and the selfie/twerking/me me me culture of the under 20s is breathtakingly depressing, but just for once I wanted to express how bloody lucky I feel to be living where and when I do.
And this is probably more a reflection of my age than anything else, but it is surely no coincidence that a lot of my favourite choons contain the words 'freedom' or 'free'.
Here are some of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PAXDHd9gkY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDK2svrGG_c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2IpJBZEosk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s09WA_FR5_k
What are your favourite freedom songs? I'd love to hear them.