Oh Canada!

A little more freedom would be nice

Recently, I took a trip north of the border. For 15 grueling hours I was strapped inside a vehicle that seemed to grow smaller by the mile. I passed over mountains and through valleys, endured a 10-hour-long severe thunderstorm full of flash flood alerts and intense lightning. I survived on Doritos, protein bars and energy drinks. When I reached that border, I felt like a true pilgrim and patriot. Expecting the border agent to praise me and welcome me to his country, I was surprised when he did the opposite. He began grilling me about items he suspected me of carrying and interrogating me about what I possessed IN MY HOME! And then he made me pay him as a reward for answering all the questions correctly.

I quickly understood, we ain’t in Kansas (or Georgia) no more. I could sense there was a different psychology amongst the inhabitants of the land I was entering. Like a dog who is used to not wearing a leash, the jolting realization of restriction is a bit unpleasant. The poor canine discovers he is only allowed to run 10 feet ahead now and begins to learn to adjust his movements accordingly. And of the person holding the leash, he thinks, “Do I bite them or tolerate them?”

Please understand, I’m not hating on our neighbors to the north, but simply saying, a little more freedom would be nice. Politics are one thing, and I’m not trying to go there, but my desire is that we would consider what holds you and I back from thinking, speaking, and living freely.

Are We Allowed to?

“Explore Canada,” a license plate told me. “Discover Canada,” another one said. The lakes, land and wildlife are readily accessible in every direction up there. It is beautiful country, a land full of potential and possibility. But one other experience was revealing for me. Nearly every person I spoke with one fateful afternoon all said the same thing, “Wow, that would be nice. But are we allowed to?”

Again, the effect of social democracy was not lost on this cage-free American. The high ideals of top-down collective welfare, social safety nets and universal healthcare seemed to have the residual effect of diminished ambition. They were all proud people (in a good sense), but it seemed they would rather ask permission and live within whatever boundaries were imposed on them. I’m not known for being Mr. Contrarian, but that sort of passive-aggressive “what-can-you-do” attitude was as irritating as it was unfortunate.

Was it just my American mindset, rooted in capitalism and democracy, emphasizing individual success and personal liberty? Maybe. Was it a sudden sense a shorter leash threatening my sense of autonomy and personal responsibility? Possibly.

However, I was leaving soon, so, honestly, who really cared what I thought?

But it did make me wonder how that same mentality can infiltrate other areas of our lives. We have very limited control or influence in the politics of whatever nation we live in. Be involved. Fulfill your civic duty, of course. But the limits and liberties we grant ourselves are far more impactful than any national legislation. Our daily and habitual decisions effect our lives much faster than any politician’s. The laws of the land are one thing, but what mentalities are governing your life? What ideas cross your mind every now and then to which you reply (to yourself), “Wow, that’s really neat… Would be nice!”

Who said you don’t have permission? Who says it is not possible? What prompts you to even want to do that thing? Why haven’t other people done it? What would happen if you did attempt? Who cares? Who cares enough to help you? Who cares enough to try and stop you?

Are you holding your own leash? Are you living within the limits of imaginary boundaries and only going where you’ve gone before? Maybe it’s time to stop recoiling prematurely and assume you have the liberty to explore the far-reaching landscape of the life God gave you.

Exploration, discovery and ambition can be something leading you forward, or it can just be a cute slogan on the butt of your car.

Oh, Canada.