When I was in ninth grade, I had a teacher who would write quotes up on the chalkboard daily. At this time in my life I was especially shy, almost painfully unconfident in myself and my abilities. I was probably a lot smarter than I let on, but held back my intelligence in fear boys wouldn’t like me. I quietly wrote down a William Wallace quote that day: “Every man dies, not every man truly lives”. This quote really struck me for some reason; I couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not I was truly “alive”. It’s been five years now and I still often find myself thinking the same things. What have I done in my life that made me feel alive? Have I really done anything of importance at all? William Wallace was a Scottish freedom fighter, legend, and over all babe. (Or at least Mel Gibson is or–erm–was) Some of this could just be conjecture. We only really see William Wallace through Hollywood's rose colored glasses in Braveheart. The quote however still holds true. I’m not fighting for the freedom of Scotland with a sword in my hand and chain-mail on my chest but I am willing to fight for my individual freedoms in different ways. In 2017’s politically jarring atmosphere, it’s more important now than ever to stick your neck out for what matters. Whether it be environmental protection laws, immigration laws, human rights. In my eyes (though they maybe a little rosy too), fighting for what you believe in is a life well lived.