Liberty Rests On The Foundation Of Responsibility

The days that led up to my first day at college were filled with a lot of preparation and anticipation.  I had  gotten two new trousers and shirts tailored. Stationery options were reviewed too. I had taken extra photos for my concessional bus and train passes, which needed to be purchased. My college was in the suburbs of Chennai, which meant a 30-kilometre train journey just one way.  The institution itself was legendary and honour rolls boasted of some of the alumni who featured as the who's-who in the country. The 350-acre wooded  campus with co-educational residential facilities was a delight to be in, though I was to be a day boarder. I wondered about all these things  and anticipated how college would be.

The night before my first day, my parents sat me down in our three-roomed house and  told me they were happy that I was going to college. As my mother looked at me lovingly, my father said, “Son, tomorrow you leave home for college and we wish for you to study well.  We are aware of the temptations present there on the campus, like smoking, drinking or  drugs but we trust you. You are our son and you will choose wisely and be responsible. However, you are also free to do what you like and if things don’t  work out well, remember that we as your parents will always love you”

What was told to me that evening was not just a few words of wisdom but also a promise of trust and unconditional love. Even after four decades, that little heart-to-heart chat is still vivid in my mind. Those same words came alive recently when my daughter Esther  chatted with me on Whatsapp one late evening when she was in Amsterdam. This is how it went:

Esther:  Dad, today my friends and I went to pub in Rotterdam and most of my classmates ordered alcohol. It was the first time they tried it out. They insisted that I should have some too.

Me:  Okay  (At this point I was curious about what was to come next)

Esther:  I said no, but they told me that no one would find out.

Me: Go on, Es.

Esther: Well, I stood my ground and didn't have any.

Me: I am proud of you, my darling.

September 2016 USA Pic Emmanuel

What was imparted to me by my parents has been passed on. In our youth, we have several avenues to make choices; some good and some bad. Some are life-threatening, while 

others are not so. My father’s words once again echoed in my mind when I visited the U.S.A a few months ago. I saw the Statue of Liberty in New York City, and what a sight it was! Seeing the Statue of Liberty in real life is something different. It’s a massive structure that is so big, it had to be transported in several pieces before it could be erected as one. We  always look at the  Statue of Liberty and crave for freedom to do things in the ways we wish to. Gazing up, I noticed that Lady Liberty stretches out towards the sky while remaining grounded on a strong foundation. It has weathered many a storm and wind because of its foundation.

That evening Esther and I concluded that the Statue of Liberty is what it is because it is built on the Foundation of Responsibility. In that same manner, the freedom that we humans crave for  must be rooted in responsibility for our actions and their effects.