Hi, everyone-

Sometimes the problem with life, is the question of how to get out of a situation.

* A job. An impossible coworker.

* A divorce. A silent treatment. A fight.

* A passive-agressive relationship.

* A situation that never improves.

* Or simply the general feeling of being behind in just about everything.

Though most people have smiles plastered on their faces around Christmas—I mean, how could you not, when thoughts of heart-warming chocolate drinks and cleansing snow abound—inside, sometimes there’s just something that is still … OFF. Something that each of us are still prisoners of.

This week, I’ve dug up a special archival speech-to-text letter from someone who actually was a Prisoner of War.

I wanted to know:

What does one have to really say to oneself, to turn a situation from: prisoner for life … to Life, Unimprisoned.

Let’s find out. You can either:

* Scroll up to download and listen to this episode. Or,

* Scroll down to read the transcript.

Thanks for being here,

-Thalia

PS: If you want to catch up on similar themes from last season, here are a couple as a refresh.

SEASON 2, EPISODE 3

The freeing Christmas words of a prisoner

(Music: Silhouettes by Tobias Voigt. License Code: 8IDBGGC5WXLDYLAU)

Is being under-oath really freedom? Secret Service Oaths and the Kennedy assassination explain …

Hi, everyone-

I spent a ton of time this week to really think about what freedom means. When I came to America, the whole slogan of ‘freedom of speech’ sounded good. It sounds really good, actually. But that’s not the whole story, isn’t it?

* Would someone who’s made a vow to a partner be free?

* Would a parent who served their child day and night ever be free?

* Would a grandparent who now has to face assisted living be free?

* Would an unknown with a dream be free of their dream’s demands?

* Would secret service under oath to protect their country ever be free? Especially if they have to protect the very people they loathe?

Freedom is one of those things that we just could never understand enough. Including in the last half of our lives. Which is why, this week, I’m taking a closer look at:

The Secret Service Oath of Office

This is the vow secret service officers take before serving their country, the president, the vice president, and former presidents. These are the men and women in black who, in the movies, look like they run the world—when in reality it’s the world that tend to run them over.

Let’s find out their take on service and oath, what freedom means to them, and what really happened when all were tested during the Kennedy motorcade assassination.

*Listener discretion is advised.

Let’s get started!

SEASON 2, EPISODE 2

Is service the secret to freedom?

* “We flew up to the Air Force base and got there shortly after the baby was born. But there was a problem with the baby … With his lungs.”

* “Previous to that, generally in public they didn’t really show really any emotion. It wasn’t so obvious that they were so in love. But after that …”

* “And all of a sudden, I heard this explosive noise over my right shoulder in the rear.”

* “I saw the President grab at his throat …”

* “She was trying to grasp some of those materials that came out of the president’s head. And she did manage to get a hold of some of them. And had it in her hands.”