Independence.

We are on our way back to Seattle and I feel as though we have been celebrating the 4th of July all weekend, but then again what does it actually mean to celebrate this day??  Fireworks??  sparklers??  s'mores??  hotdogs?  We associate so many random things with this day…and quite often we forget what we are actually celebrating.

This day (the 4th of July) is about independence, but what does that independence even look like?  What does this day really mean for Americans?  And how often do we take this said independence for granted?

I think it's difficult to recognize all the freedoms we are granted, simply by living in the land of the free, when we are completely soaked and entrenched in them.  Our freedoms have become normal, something we don't even see, yet the freedoms within this country are unique - unique to us, to America, to the Western world.

Within this country, as a woman, I have the ability to vote, to be educated, to drive, to have a bank account, to travel outside of the country, to wear what I will.  I basically have the freedom to do what I want when I want.  

But imagine just for a moment that you lived in a  different country, say Saudi Arabia, what types of freedoms would you have then?  

I read about 12 Time magazines over the weekend, and the final one I read had the most interesting article about women in Saudi Arabia.  The article was titled, Road Warriors - see in Saudi Arabia, women aren't allowed to drive.

The article stated that, "Dozens of women have taken to the streets - not on foot but behind the wheel.  They are leaving their drivers at home and heading out on their own to the grocery store or to the doctor or to pick up their kids from school.  Those thankless errands may plague women around the world, but for some in Saudi Arabia they ar a long-dreamed-of freedom."

"Saudi Arabia remains the only country in the world where women are officially barred from getting behind the wheel…Conservitaive clerics have argued that driving allows women too much freedom and might lead to illicit mixing of the sexes…conservative and campaigners for the right to drive would at least agree on this: Allowing women to drive is about more than getting from point A to point B.  It's a symbol of more profound change that could fundamentally alter Saudi society.  For conservatives, who believe it is ordained by God that women stay in the home and take care of the family, it means a loss of control over women's lives and the acceptance of their greater independence.  For some women's-rights campaigners, driving is a stepping-stone to other freedoms."

"At present, Saudi women cannot leave the country without permission from a  male guardian.  They cannot take out loans without having two men vouch for their identity, even if they carry governemnt-issued IDs.  Custody laws automatically favor the father.  TAckling those issues is far more difficult than taking on the prohibition on driving…driving means access, mobility and empowerment, and from there they can chip away at the bigger issues."

Women - can you imagine??  I know I sure can't.  I mean if I am completely honest, I am not a huge fan of errand running, but I can't even imagine what it would be like to have Peter go with me everywhere I went.  Women - Can you imagine not being able to go anywhere without a male escort?  Talk about a loss of freedom and independence.  Plus if that was the case in this country, I think Peter would simply go crazy and I wouldn't get anything done!

So I suppose I should be thankful for all the freedoms I am granted within this country.  And I suppose I should be especially thankful for all those thankless errands that I so often feel plagued with.  Thank you Saudi women for putting things into persecptive and reminding me of my blessings.