As a white Bermudian raised by open-minded parents, perhaps I've taken the concept of freedom for granted.

Living in a democracy tends to relegate thoughts of what freedom means to the philosophical or theoretical. In that regard, for most of us in Bermuda, freedom is academic.

Recent world events, like the populist uprisings in Tehran and the devastating earthquake in Haiti, should be stark reminders of how privileged such a perspective is. In Bermuda, we're largely shielded from the reality of what it means to violently have your race, politics or economic status dictate the way you live your life.

In too many countries, freedom really is another word for nothing left to lose, with apologies to Janis Joplin. What a statement of despair. To feel so bleakly about what freedom means, any sense of control over your destiny must have been stripped bare.

Like me, I think many of us in Bermuda wear our freedom casually, like a comfortable piece of clothing. Given the degree to which so many give so much to be free, I think I'm going to try harder to wear my freedom with deference, humility and respect.

– Wendy Davis Johnson