"Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom." – Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean.
For a silly franchise movie, Pirates did produce at least one bit of memorable dialogue. For me, anyway. The concept expressed in that particular quote is part of why I wanted to write Good Hope. The characters involved in my modern-day nautical adventure all want one thing- freedom.
There is a parking lot near my home where several classic car enthusiast park on Saturday nights to show off their hot rods. Beautiful things: tail fins, massive grills, and real V8 engines. I was pointing out a few of them to my wife tonight, and remarking about how flair and style are no longer part of automotive design, and she asked why I thought it was important in the first place. It struck me that Marie looks at a car as a means of practical transportation, because at heart, she is a very practical person. So to her, it's all just decoration. But I realized, at that moment, why classic cars of the Fifties move me in the same way as elegant ships from the Age of Sail. It's because they represent the same concept- Freedom. Freedom of the open road, freedom from small towns and small ideas, freedom of expression in fire-striped decals and shiny black paint jobs.
In this new century, our cars are aerodynamic and designed with efficiency in mind, because we aren't really going anywhere anymore. Are we? Other than just back and forth to work?
Sadly,the freedom of our automotive past has gone the way of our nautical past. Our culture is very different than it was back when '57 Chevy Bel-Airs ruled the blacktop. We don't cruise Route 66 or take cross-country drives to the coast. Are you kidding? Who wants to drive all the way to Atlantic City or San Diego? We get on a plane for that. And the mystery of "What's around the next turn?" disappeared with the invention of GPS navigation devices.
I guess we find our freedom in other ways now, and maybe I'm wrong, but with all of our advances, there just doesn't seem to be as much freedom around as their used to be.
I'd like to see some comments about this, dear readers. Do you yearn for freedom? How do you find it? What do you do? What is your freedom?
Gary
8 comments:
I feel freedom whenever I embark on a trip, whether by car, train, or by plane. Just knowing that I'm getting away, even for a short time, feels liberating to me.
What a great thought for today, it is cold and rainy in Algoma, Wi., not too much freedom there. My sense of freedom begins on my boat, the minute you plane out you are on your way to some kind of adventure, getting several days and nights on the boat can trigger that true sense of Freedom.
Sheryl, I hadn't thought of trains. They were also part of our national obsession with freedom and should not be overlooked. Maybe I'll set a short story on a train in the Old West. Yeah, I know, it's been done, but now I feel like researching it. :)
Gary
Ah, my friends at Good Tidings Nautical Decor definately understand this concept. If you haven't checked out their stuff, good readers, then click on the tag in the comment and buy something nice for your "Fictional Mind" host. Anything. Really, I don't mind :)
Gary
Great post, Gary.
What makes me feel free is getting *away* from all things man-made: planes, trains, and automobiles included. Put me in a forest, surrounded by nothing but trees and maybe some flowing water... now *that's* freedom.
Keep up the good writing!
--Kelli
I like Kelli's suggestion also. Her freedom is more of a "place" where I feel mine is not so much the destination, but the journey.
I think once I get to the "place" it will only be a matter of time before I feel the need to get moving again :)
I'm with Kelli! I have my forest and running water here where we retired in the Hill Country.
Every day after lunch, I walk out into the pecan orchard and down to the river bank. There I look down into the water to see what might be there. The water is clear, so I can see the rocks on the bottom.
No fish yet in the catfish hole, but yesterday, I saw two turtles and a big, black snake.
That's freedom. In fact, yesterday, it was after two p.m. before I realized it.
I love it.
We all need to find some freedom in our day.
T.
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