Honoring Liberty

Posted by Jen on July 13th, 2007 filed in liberty

Liberty was a very sweet person and I felt nothing but love for him during the brief times that our paths crossed in life.  He sat behind me in Spanish class in high school and I remember his smiling eyes very well…that long free hair…and some of the jokes we used to make.  I searched my yearbook and found what he had written me: “Jenafer, Bust me a few answers in Spanish.  Hopefully your in my Spanish class next year. -Liberty”  So funny he always was.  And good-natured.

About five years later we attended the same college and both participated in the same environmental club on campus.  He and Jake were co-presidents of the club before my friend and I took it over when they transferred out.  I remember going up to Liberty and asking him if he remembered me from high school.  Of course he did and it was like we had always been friends.  I felt very connected to the members of that group.  We all volunteered and sacrificed for what we believed in and I always had great respect for them because of that.

Since the accident I have been reading stories about Liberty on this site.  I’ve learned so much more about him and I have been touched in many ways.  Liberty had a huge heart and he was clearly very influencial and dear to many.  I have created this painting as a gift to all those who have been affected.  I will find a way to make prints of it and mail them to friends and family.  This will be my offering for you in Liberty’s honor.  And the original will go to Jake.

The evening before I finished the painting I had a dream and Liberty was in part of it.  I want to share this with you now, because it is important to me.  In my dream it was dusk and Liberty was going on a long journey which began on the street we were standing on.  He said that he didn’t need his jacket where he was going so he took it off and tried to hand it to me.  I didn’t want it so he gave it to guys who were standing to the right of me.  Then he walked off to the left, which was the direction that the sun was setting in.  The sky was black above me and to the right, but it was yellow to the left.  In my dream, Liberty was going away to do lots of things.  I remember wondering why he thought he didn’t need his jacket, because it was already getting dark  and he was sure to be gone for a long while.  After I woke up and continued working on my painting I realized its potential significance.  This whole time I had been painting Liberty with his jacket on.  Liberty was telling me that he no longer needs it!

Viewed 4081 times by 860 viewers