Freedom calls. Who'll take heed?

The 'lent' season is over. Which means many people I know can now go back to eating meat. As for me, meat is year round. I know PETA's gonna see red, but frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. When I probe about why people take to 'lent', the answer I get is always the same. 'Its been a practice for long, no point changing it now'.

I disagree. I think there's always a point to 'changing' when 'change' matters. I for one can't go into mourning knowing 'Good Friday' beckons. I don't need to. I don't need to go through elaborate 'practices' because its mandated by the religious group I subscribe to. If I did, I'd be defeating the very purpose for which the sacrifice was made on the Cross. 'He died to set us FREE!'

FREE means FREEDOM!

Freedom also means you can eat meat, year round!

Most people don't get that. In fact they don't want to. Truth is, they reject being free. They want to go through with what I believe are 'submissive' practices like the 'lent' to find meaning in their faith. They trade in freedom to be bonded to norms so they can 'belong'. As for me, I have to reject those very 'practices' to find meaning. I don't want to belong. I want to be free.

I'd like to think I am getting there.

Its the same reason as it is with 'lent practicing' people, why brands work. People want to belong. They want to trade in their free spirit and subscribe to marketer driven norms to belong. Of course, they say 'free spirit' used to be around in the past. The irony is, when the 'free spirit' movement happened, it still was one subjugated by norms. The flower children were, I believe, worse off in terms of being free as compared to capitalist bourgeoisie.

Truth is, unlike what's thought, most people aren't free, don't want to be free.

Ditto with consumers.

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