The word free comes up in many situations and has various interpretations and meanings.
Starting with the word freedom, is it about being free and having the freedom to do as one pleases, without due consideration?
One stands by the road and hopes and expects to get a free ride, with no intention to contribute to the driver’s or owner’s fuel cost.
The so-called ‘poor’ congregate at a known common city centre, or next to a business place or super market, hoping and even expecting to obtain a free meal, or some cash without asking the giver, “Can I do anything for you or assist you in anyway?”
The street vendor is constantly looking for that free spot to operate, and tries desperately not to pay dues because people should consider their plight.
Children think that they are entitled to and must get all that their parents own, or have and they expect it to be freely given to them ,not considering that they should or could have contributed to the parents’ hustle.
Patrons to a club or the playing field all want to enjoy the spectacle but resist paying entrance fee which helps for the upkeep of the place.
In relationships both men and women try to get as much out of the other, calling it the bond for their love.
At the workplace employees are looking consistently for ways to make more, or demand more without their input justifying their demands .
The bottom line is that nothing is for free, free to one person is an expense to another.
Granted, generosity does come into play or some give willingly, but too many expect to get or to gain without reciprocating.
The buzz word is ‘give me’, it is never ‘look’, or ‘can I help you’ – no pun intended. Some are quite capable of helping themselves, or assisting another, but the culture of taking things for free, or deceiving the other, has become a way of life.
In my opinion both the able and the disabled, once mentally-fit and faculties are in order, can contribute in one way or the other.
If I can give you a $20 bill to comfort you, if you decided to wash my vehicle it would save me $20 as well and we both break-even.
If you look for every reason not to turn up at work, why expect the goodness from the employer, and as for friends some always want a drink or a cigarette but will never say to themselves he or she has always given me, so now let me bring five mangoes for them from my backyard , even though it is ‘mango tombay’.
Free education, free opportunity, free support, some rather do nothing rather than grabbing for self-improvement especially when they are surrounded by givers.
Some, the little that they have or work for, choose to gamble it all away with the objective of getting more and some have perfected the art of stealing because if they can get it for free, they stand to make more profit.
Some will do unjust deeds just to obtain in the easiest way and not have to commit because the less you give the more you have.
The problem of forgetting is also like a plague, nobody seems to remember the good deeds that some have given them, they neglect past support in fact as long as the help is not constant, they move to the next giver, always looking to prey on another. Now that the buzz word is better pay, this may be interpreted as less profits and in turn higher prices to keep gaining the advantage.
This is really a human trade to get more by any means necessary and blame the system for the high cost of living, but not themselves, as being part of the exploitation machinery.