On The Fritz: "You Can't Take Me, I'm Free"...or are we!?

"Horse Trailer", Photograph. Circa 1986, Janelle Jensen Fritz & her 6 days older cousin Leah.

At times, I can be a bit impetuous. On special occasions, I can even be considered impulsive. A couple weeks ago my 6-year old son and I were setting off on a Saturday afternoon/evening shopping excursion. I was fretting about our timing, and I felt anxious about whether we would be able fit in our itinerary. Costco, Toys-R-Us, Gas fill-up, your basic middle class Saturday, but with pizza back for dinner for the two-at-home. From the back seat, I hear, "MOM, hold your horses! We will get there." Smiling I said, "you are right, I'm probably just getting ahead of myself." To which he promptly responded, "Yeah, and did you know that you also have a bull you need to hold onto too?"

Honestly, that one stunned me speechless. All of the sudden I realized that this was not just one of those "cute exchanges with my 6-year old".

From time-to-time this boy imparts hard truths. Ones that as a parent I'd rather not face, but ones that he is able to bring up in figurative language, nonetheless. It's an act of brilliancy blended with my own inner voice being re-projected through my son. The timing is always such that I can't deny it away coincidentally. Especially, as it has happened to me on several occasions, and, my husband can attest to this as well. When I related the previously stated exchange to him, Johnathan stated quite accurately, when he replied, "Yes, I know exactly what you mean. It happens to me too. It's like your own inner monologue coming and striking you in the ass, but with the voice of your innocent loving child."

"Out of the mouths of babes", INDEED.

Thus...I suppose, I should give credence to Psalm 8:2 ...

"Out of the mouths of babes, and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."

The thing with figurative language, is that when you apply it directly, the meaning is usually clear. Though, when you start to play around with the context? It can get shifty.

I knew what he meant when he said it. I knew my bull, and the horses. I know my stampede, and there are definitely some wild feral mustangs in my herd. And that bull? That is dependent on my current state of litany. But, like I said, they are wild mustangs. And, if you don't have any of your own? Then realize, they are beautiful. Captivating, and our country has some, as in our good ol' US-of-A. If you are still in the dark and ambivalent? I invite you to live vicariously....or so catch a drift...with a pick from my 18-month old niece with "You Can't Take Me....I'm FREE!" This past summer she chose "You Can't Take Me" as her favorite song from the movie Spirit, about wild Mustangs that are being bound & broken by man. Love her. During the video, when "Spirit" (the mustang) is bound, the lyrics "I'm Free" ring out. Are the faculties holding hostage? Or is the rebel truly, "with out a clue"? In the video it is only when he is literally "free", that he truly makes the literal leap of faith across an expansive chasm.

CSNY stated it as an economic equation:

find the cost to freedom
buried in the ground
mother earth will swallow you
lay your body down