Freedom is of the Mind

He refuses to get out of bed. Something to do with the late night that we had. And the fact that he was a might, a little bit, over the top.

I do remember meeting the police roadblock, it was after midnight. Cant close nearer than that. Old Kampala Police station, near the Mosque. Usual traffic jam site, but a jam at that time?

No, police.

Making sure that they were arresting those who drunk and drove.

My heart sunk. Contemplated a night in the police cell. That is the routine, whenever they decide to do these middle of the night arrests. Suprisingly, we passed the initial screening test, and drove away carefully. I am with all Kampala drivers. Breathalyzers, that is technology meant to encroach on our freedom to drink and drive, and kill of course.

Beautiful morning. Very beautiful.

Golden sunlight. Green leaves, shadowed and sprinkled with the sunlight. A breeze making them dance and wave. Shadow and light beneath the trees. Cool, calm. The heat will be in a couple of hours. Throw off shirt and sweat freely.

Thinking of Mugabe this morning, I wondered, would a Mugabe imprison my soul?

He has done quite a bit, apart from bringing to ruin a good economy.

He has beaten and killed opponents, abused and laughed at challenge, inside and outside the country. He has made Zimbabweans the laughing stock of the continent. Reminds me of Life President, Dr. Al Hajj General Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Conqueror of the British Empire (damn, have left out some of the titles, like Ssalongo etc). He also killed and raped and destroyed a country. Yet humanity is resilient.

Burma will come out of the ashes when the strangle hold of the generals is broken. So will North Korea. China is a bulging, burgeoning, feasthood of humanity.

Can a Mugabe imprison my soul?

That is important for me, because in as much as I would love political and other freedoms, I have realized that freedom is of the mind. Of the soul.

A person, a gay person in the Scandinavian countries would think of my life as a horror. Closeted for life, suffering indignities which their countries left in the distant past of the 18^th Century.

Yet, despite the physical lack, the economic needs, the real life problems that are undeniable, I am free. Free in the mind. I have challenged life as it was given to me, and dared to break out of the mold. I have found love and happiness. I have found a man to love, who loves me back. The world may not acknowledge us, my community and society may be hostile and condemning, but I have found my life and love and happiness.

Yes, I have passed through a lot in life. I will most likely pass through more. My life is on an uncharted sea, easily able to founder and sink without a trace. I have many battles to fight, in future. Some I may lose. A few I may win. Many I may never get the chance to see through. But I am happy that I have opened my eyes to the freedom of the mind, the freedom of thought.

Freedom is of the mind, and I am deeply thankful that I have found that freedom.

I will use what weapons I have to teach others, to free others. I will understand that some will willfully stay slaves and prisoners. But, and I have to respect that, that is their will, their journey, their life.

Can a Mugabe imprison my soul? My physical body, definitely. Pain to my body, my heart, torture, the indignity of poverty, stupidity and physical need and confinement. But freedom is of the mind, and I find that today, this morning, with my love resting late in bed, and my world full of sunlight and sunshine, I know that freedom is of the mind. And that it is mine to lose. Mine to keep.

Have a great day.

GayUganda