Linz’s Musings – Time to rise and fight for our freedom

Happy Friday and I hope you are all coping in these unsettling times.  Looks like things here in AU are starting to go off the rails again, incredibly sad to see…

But today, I would like to revisit a theme I mentioned last year…

Now, I probably am also dating myself here and possibly a lot of my readers might not even have a clue what I am on about… but here we go…

Remember the old 90’s movie The Matrix?  One of my fav’s I will admit.  Written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers and produced by Joel Silver, the film was released on March 31, 1999, grossing over $460 million worldwide.  It won 4 Academy Awards (as well as others) and is a staple on any sci-fi ‘greatest hits list.’

Now, while the special effects were impressive at the time, what really stands out about the film, even after 21 years, is the lingering suspicion that we are being controlled by a force… whether a ‘Big Brother’ or HAL or ‘the administration’…

And, perhaps more frightening, that most of us would prefer to live in blissful ignorance rather than face the truth of living in a harsh world where we struggle to survive…

Hopefully, you remember the plot: Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer by day and hacker called Neo by night, is recruited to join the “real world” by Morpheus, leader of the human resistance against their AI overlords.

He gives Neo the choice to take a red pill and become part of the resistance or take the blue pill and forget he ever knew there was a real-world out there so he can re-join the rest of humanity in serving as an organic power source for the machines.

Neither choice is all that great, especially when the real world involves living on a bedraggled ship, eating gruel, and being chased by “agents” who are out to obliterate the resistance before it can free more minds from the Matrix.

Neo, of course, takes the red pill and (spoiler alert) becomes the hero.

In general, I believe the film was designed to make us think about free will, fate, the depths of oppression, and the power (and pain) of knowledge.

But this got me thinking…

 

What is an authentic life?

Now, we might not have some massive AI, all holding us hostage and feeding off our brainwaves (right?  We don’t right…?), BUT are we holding ourselves hostage?

Is the ‘Big Brother” really ourselves?

Or more to the point, are we ALLOWING ourselves to be hostages?  Walking freely into that cell, which may look like home, but still a cell…?

Right now, in these unsettling times, there are 1001 conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic – some quite amusing to read.  But I guess these sorts of crises can get us to thinking “Is there more to this?”

What if it is also our own mind, our own limitations that we put on ourselves holding us prisoner?  The lies we tell ourselves, the stories or ‘movie’ we show ourselves again, and again, as to what we are capable of…

What if the truth was something quite different…so much more?

Are we settling for life because it is comfortable, never trying to attempt anything ‘outside the box’ because we tell ourselves it is not possible?

Or more importantly, society & the media telling us we are not worthy…

Constantly (often unconsciously) taking that blue pill and going back to our blissful ‘norm’ coma…

Like Cypher in the movie, some of us may even try a red pill, fight for a few days/weeks/months, even years to see what is possible, fail, and then reach back for that blue pill-driven solace – settling back to what’s comfortable, what’s easy…

How many of us have actually taken the red pill, fought for their independence, their freedom whether it be financial, emotional, spiritual or physical?

Who wants to be the Neo’s of the world and fight to win their right to choose, their right for freedom?

Not freedom if… or freedom only when… but actual Freedom.  Isn’t that what this country is about – “For we are young and free” right??

Or more importantly, who wants to be the Morpheus’ who help others wake up to what is possible, and provide the red pill and the help & support to win…

Our world needs more Neo’s and Morpheus’ so choose team red.  Questioning what is happening is not revolt, it is awareness.  Be aware of what is going on around us all, what limitations are being pressed upon us, and what limitations we impress upon ourselves.

Rise up and let’s see what difference we can make.