Maybe it’s my mountain heritage and the fact that I was descended from some mighty hardy men and women that I so cherish the notion of independence. It goes hand-in-hand with the words “freedom” and “self-reliance.” Just hearing these words spoken puts steel in my spine.

“Daddy Bull,” my maternal grandfather, is a case in point. Tall, strong and handsome, with dark hair and black, bushy eyebrows, he became known for his plainspoken way of coming right out with what he really thought. He was the silent type, but when he said something, it was worth hearing. Often it was deeply wise. Sometimes it was quite colorful. Mostly it was just his own truth, wrested out of these old hills and his very challenging, self-reliant life. Even as a child, I recognized his strength in not cringing or “making nice.” I liked it. It made me feel secure.

Our freedoms are to be deeply cherished, especially the freedom to say what we really think. In fact our very freedom often depends upon doing so.