Freedom

the best book i have read in a while reminds me that people are people and when someone captures the thoughts and feelings of a character well, we can't help but fall in love with the most unlikely of folks. "Freedom" by Jonathan Krazen follows the lives of 3 very different people over the period of a lifetime. in these lives they have disappointment, heartbreak, and in the end understanding. it is a great gift to be able figure out where you went wrong and to try to fix it. Frazen gives his characters this gift, almost too late.

the simplicity and depth of these characters leads the reader to moments of pause and tears. Frazen asks the reader to question this idea of Freedom. in many cases the characters are hurt by their unending freedom to choose the wrong path, or freedom to do nothing at all. makes us all analyze our choices with the freedom we have been given, and the mistakes we have made along the way.

assumptions

3 active boys were running all over the train. they were throwing balls to each other and yelling and jumping everywhere.

the other passengers were clearly getting aggravated. eyes were rolling, sighs were getting louder and louder.

the boys were traveling with there father that day. he sat motionless, oblivious to all of the chaos they were causing. people were getting furious.

they started looking at one another, trying to urge someone to approach the father. the boys began running into people and spilling women's bags.

this man is the worst father they all had ever seen. surely he could at least say something to these boys.

finally a man approached the father.

"Sorry to bother you, but your children are a bit out of control," the man said.

the father looked at this stranger teary eyed and replied. "Their mother just died this morning, and I don't have it in me to yell at them."

same town

a man sat at a welcoming booth at the rest stop just outside of his town. there he handed out brochures and maps.

one day a family arrived at his stop. looking weary and sad, the father asked the man what the people of the town were like. the man at the booth asked the father how he liked the last town where he lived.

"It was awful," the father replied. "Everyone was unfriendly and rude. They were very snobby and we didn't make any friends at all."

"Well," the man said, "I am sorry to say that you will probably find the people here to be unfriendly and rude too."

the unhappy family left, with the same attitude they had when they arrived.

a few hours later another family entered the welcoming booth. they were happy and smiling when they approached the man at the booth.

"Tell us about the people in town," the father inquired.

"How did you like the people in the town where you used to live," the man asked.

"They were wonderful," replied the father. "They were so welcoming and kind and giving. We had a very hard time saying good bye to such good friends."

"Well," the man replied, "I am happy to say that you will probably find the people here to be friendly, nice and giving as well."

and the happy family left with the very same attitude they had when they arrived.