Freedom

To Whom it May Concern;

I feel compelled to tell you about one of the most awesome feelings in the world. Freedom. In the United States I know we take it way too much for granted, which is why I was so deeply impacted by it.

You see, when I lived under the roof/authority of my parents this included submitting to my mother's hoarding... erm... tendencies. Anything I put in the garbage was scrutinized and 80% of the time I would probably find it years later in one of the layers of my parent's bedroom... because of this invasion of my garbage-privacy and the fact that when you are a teenager basically everything of yours is embarrassing, I started being very finnicky about what I could throw away. If I put something of ANY worth (I'm talking used christmas bows and homework from all grades) then my mother would probably make her "values" known to me. Basically, she would criticize me for throwing basically anything away (and then save it despite MY decision and arguing to get rid of it).

And then I moved away. When I finally threw out an old pair of underwear... just tossed it in the garbage... I was blown away by a feeling of absolute freedom. This was normal. You get rid of old things when they are of no use. This is what I believed in. This is what I was allowed to act upon.

Do not let the values of your parents get in the way of what you believe in. There are some moral ideas that are instilled in your makeup and those make you a good person, but in the ways of material possessions and anything involving OCD, do things in the way that you think is normal. It will give you peace of mind and a taste of what real freedom is about - making your own choices.

Sincerely,
Independent Month