CREATIVE NON- FICTION

XAIZHA P. PAGULAYAN GRADE 12- VERTABLE

WEEK 6
NATURE ACTIVITY 5

The Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela
He didn't come into this world with a desire to be free. He was born free – free in every sense of
the word. He was free to run through the fields near his mother's hut, swim in the beautiful stream that ran
through my hamlet, roast mealie under the stars, and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls. He was
unconcerned about the laws of man or God as long as he obeyed his father and followed the practices of
his tribe.
Only when he realized that his childhood independence was a mirage, when he realized as a
young man that his freedom had already been snatched from him, did he start to crave it. As a student, he
simply wanted independence for himself, the fleeting freedoms of being allowed to stay out late at night,
read whatever he wanted, and go wherever he pleased. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, he
yearned for the basic and respectable freedoms of realizing my potential, making a living, marrying and
starting a family — the right to live a legitimate life without being blocked.
But then he realized that not only was he not free, but neither were his brothers and sisters. He
realized that my freedom, as well as the freedom of everyone who looked like him, had been stifled.
That's when he joined the African National Congress, and my desire for my own independence became a
bigger desire for his people's liberation. It was this desire for his people's freedom to live their lives with
dignity and self-respect that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-
loving husband into a man without a home, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that
drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a
criminal, that drove a law-abiding attorney, that forced a man who loved life to live as a monk. He wasn't
any more moral or selfless than the next man, but he discovered that he couldn't even appreciate the poor
and limited freedoms he was given when he realized what he was up against. People were not allowed to
be free. Freedom is indivisible; any of his people's chains were the chains on all of them, and all of my
people's chains were the chains on him.
During those long and lonely years, his desire for the liberty of his own people evolved into a
desire for the liberty of all people, white and black. He knew better than anyone that the oppressor had to
be freed just as much as the victim. A person who takes away another person's freedom is a prisoner of
hatred, bound by prejudice and narrow-mindedness. If he takes away someone else's freedom, he is not
truly free, just as if his freedom is taken away from him. Both the victim and the oppressor lose their
humanity.
That was his purpose when he stepped out of prison: to liberate both the downtrodden and the
oppressor. Some claim that this has now been accomplished. However, he is aware that this is not the
case. The truth is that we are not yet free; we have only gained the right to be free, not to be oppressed.
We have not yet reached the end of our journey, but have taken the first step down a longer and more
challenging path. For to be free is to live in a way that respects and improves the freedom of others, not
just to cast off one's bonds. The actual measure of our commitment to the journey to liberation has only
just begun.
He has walked the long path to liberty. He has made an effort not to falter, but he has made
mistakes along the road. However, he has discovered the secret of ascending a large hill only to discover
that there are many more hills to climb. He's stopped for a moment to rest, to take in the magnificent
scenery that surrounds him, and to reflect on how far he's come. But he can only relax for a moment,
because freedom comes with obligations, and he must not linger, because his long journey is not yet
complete.