The server smiled and asked, “What do you do?” My answer these days is, “I am a freedom fighter.” She tried again, “I mean… where do you work?” She politely chuckled when I told her the world is my domain now. And that in my last battle, I defeated the kingdom of corporate work hell.
It wasn’t very busy, we were her only table at the time, so she stayed engaged. “You are too young to be retired.” Oh gawd, not THAT word. I thanked her for the compliment. Told her the extra weight probably hid any lurking wrinkles in my face. After all, I was now 64.
When I first escaped corporate work hell, the day I turned 60, I told people I was a writer. Or at least aspiring to be. At the time, I blogged every single day. Wrote a few Medium articles, and had began my life’s work on the masterpiece novel while living in Shangri-La. I never, ever said, “I am retired.”
But then, I realized the masses claim to be writers now. And my book is still unfinished. Besides, I am damn more than a writer. And certainly not just that dirty word… retired.
Maybe I am a bandito? But you would have to be a fan of Twenty One Pilots to recognize the reference. But here I am…
This is the sound we make
When in between two places
Where are we used to bleed
And where’re our blood needs to be
This! Deep and true. I have left the world where I used to bleed. On the way to where my soul guides me to be. I am in the trench, between worlds.
In city, I feel my spirit is contained
Like neon inside the glass, they form my brain
But I recently discovered it’s a heatless fire
Like nicknames they give themselves to uninspire
Began with bullet, now add fire to the proof
But I’m still not sure if fear’s a rival or close relative to truth
Either way it helps to hear these words bounce off of you
The softest echo could be enough for me to make it through
Folina
Sahlo Folina
But again, Twenty One Pilot fans are classy, deep, but alas rare. And the singer is describing his battle with mental health and mine is rock solid…. although tested by my decades in an absurd corporate world. Really, really tested!
So what am I? A freedom fighter!
freedom fighter
: a person who takes part in a resistance movement against an oppressive political or social establishment
Yep! That will do. I fought for my own freedom, and won. Four years ago. Some may have won the battle much sooner than I did. Some are still toiling on. Some may never escape.
Those that gained their freedom… from corporate, from government work, from teaching, or whatever. You who search for a word less limiting, demeaning, dead ended, I humbly suggest you are a victorious FREEDOM FIGHTER.
