Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better. Albert Camus
When I worked in advertising I led workshops on idea generation and creativity. One technique was finding commonality in disparate items. What does a boat, a speech, a toilet have in common?
Freedom, in any case, is only possible by constantly struggling for it. Albert Einstein
Today in 1620 the Pilgrims landed in Cape Cod. Led by William Bradford they sought freedom to practice their religion without persecution. One of two ships landed, >50% of the passengers died yet faith prevailed. Today 35M people around the world claim descent to these brave souls, myself included.
In 1863 Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address ‘to honour wartime dead not with a speech, but rather by continuing to fight for the ideas they gave their lives for' - the principles of human equality, a new birth of freedom and self government.
Today is also World Toilet Day, a UN initiative highlighting 54% of the world's population living without proper sanitation. Benefactors such as Bill Gates lead innovation into affordable solutions so that everyone can live a life of choice rather than survival.
Janis Joplin may have said ‘freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose’. I believe freedom is a privilege For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. Nelson Mandela. This week I invite you to free others by making a donation to the World Toilet Day campaign.
PS. In the old days there were no toilets on sailing ships. You went forward and hung your backside over the side and held on. Modesty be damned. This is why a toilet on a boat is called a ‘head’. Not to be confused with a ‘poop’ deck. The highest point at stern of a ship from the latin Puppis.