Completely and blissfully oblivious of what Musharraf’s fate would be, what Zardari said, how many people died in the northern areas or where are the terrorist hiding, children continue to sing and prepare to celebrate Independence Day in the midst of the chaos within Pakistan. “Dil dil Pakistan, Jan jan Pakistan, Pakistan Zindabad…” (Our heart is Pakistan, our life is Pakistan, long live Pakistan), I can hear them singing and shouting in the streets as they get ready to rejoice their freedom after two days. They are collecting paper flags, stickers, wearing wrist and head bans, decorating their bicycles and homes with the national flag.

Ignorance is bliss especially when nothing seems to be going in the right direction. These children are least concerned about the mounting prices of fuel and other goods of necessity… Ye watan humara hai, hum hein pasban is kay, they continue to sing.

Seeing them in their blissful happiness, I can remember when I was one of them and would put a flag on my bicycle and decorated my house with stripes of paper flags. Adulthood is not as exciting as I thought it would be… its too hard to be unmindful of the ugly realities around me, but I am trying to join the party of the innocent and run around with joy this time. Why can’t we forget what is happening for a while? Why can’t we just be happy in the very moment? Why can’t we be as happy as the kids…? With each new day, I find the adult world too ugly, unbecoming and unappealing and I long to return to my childhood. I miss the undisturbed joy and excitement of things which are so trivial and time wasting to the adults.

This Independence Day, I have chosen to be return to my childhood and be a part of the joy brimming on the streets. I set myself free from the clutches of adulthood and become truly independent... as independent as children who are screaming with joy outside “Happy Independence Day, Happy Independence Day… We are free, we are free.”

Today I will run with them and celebrate my freedom… independence from adulthood “I AM FREE, I AM FREE!!!”