[Dargor]

Originally Posted by CrystalSong

I feel you and have compassion and see the deep sadness in your eyes on your avatar. I do not know your circumstances or the situation you are in. Perhaps you are the sole caretender for someone slowly dying? This is a very depressing situation to be in and one has to really fight hard to have a life, activities and friends outside the walls of the house under this situation - but it is the necessary life line.
Perhaps it is some other circumstance?

For some reason this story came to mind.

Years ago I met a man, he was perhaps in his 50's or 60's. I met him near a hot springs in the desert along a creek. He was staying there with his mule and this Gypsy type carriage that he'd hand made. It reminded me of the gold panners of old. The carriage had many drawers and cupboards around the outside of it and the interior wans just large enough for a single bed and a standing area for dressing. It was light enough his mule could pull it and he walked beside her.
In the summers he ranged in the Mountains in Colorado, never staying anywhere longer than 6 - 8 weeks, in the winters he came down into the deserts where it was warmer. As he traveled he planted squashes, potatoes and other food bearing foods along creeks in out of the way places for food for him and his mule as they passed back through.
He panned for gold nuggets from the creeks to pay for items he needed from town, shoeing and grain for his mule, dental work for himself and so on.
His life was spent outdoors, panning, soaking in the beauty, deep contemplation and peace.

When I asked him how he came to this lifestyle he said that over the years he found the pressures of family, neighborhoods, laws, and society soul crushing. He moved from a city and a big job, to a smaller town and smaller job to try and find freedom. Then from a small town to the countryside but was still bothered by those knocking on his doors and trying to get him involved in their pet projects, groups and organizations. He was still caged in his opinion. So he began building the carriage and when it was finished bought his mule and then hugged his wife good-bye and they set out.

I had met him beginning his third year of a life unrestrained. He had at last found for him what constituted Freedom. He had dropped entirely off the grid and was self sustaining, self reliant and beholden to no one.
I have no idea how long he was able to maintain this life in the Wilds of the West as I never saw him again.

Very few will have to go as far as he did to be 'cage free'. Sometimes just moving out into our own place with no roommates is enough to feel free of the cage, or a change of jobs or even just joining new groups and developing new interests so we feel alive again and self determining is enough.

If the reason for the caged feeling is caused by other people, unless there are actual locks and bars and armed guards then one can find away to set themselves free most likely. It just takes boldness, creativity, trust in self and some daring to take back control of one's own life and destiny and act on it.

Thanks for your message. Though that's not exactly what I mean about living in a cage. I don't mean it in being slave to the government/society etc, but something entirely different. What I mean about living caged is more like living in a ''small'' boring world while being enslaved to time, slowly getting older and older while remaining unsuccesful in life while seeing others around you grow in their succes and enjoying the full gifts of life. To be caged in my perspective is to live every day the same without ever reaching your life goal, and only be able to visit the same places and do the same things over and over without getting anywhere further. It's kind of hard to explain but I hope you get the picture, and if not, I'll try to be more concrete in my next message.