Letter to Freedom

I found this article/letter, written by Carl Anthony Davis, printed in a newspaper in 1977. Many people can relate to it; it is the story of my life:
"Dear Freedom,
I know that you are very busy, so I'll try not to take up too much of your time. First, I would like to apologize for not being able to visit you these last [forty]-five years but believe me, Freedom, there were many days when I wanted to do so, but my opposition had me outnumbered by all kinds of heavy artillery. Please, Freedom, don't feel that I have abandoned you since I've been inside these walls.
For even though we are still many years apart, you are constantly on my mind; each and every second of the minute, every minute of every hour, and I will never, ever, be able to fully live, to be happy, to be all of which I am, until you and I are once again united, to form a person instead of an [object].
As we both know, this day is still a long way off for me, and until that beautiful day comes, I will just have to continue to think of you, dream of you and wait for you to come, so that I can stop hating and start loving, stop thinking and start doing, stop existing and start living the way a person is supposed to live, absolutely, resolutely, wholly, thoroughly and complete.
But listen, Freedom, if by a slim chance this glorious day never arrives for me, then remember me for the type of person that you've always known me to be and not for the type of person others thought I would be if - once again - I was made a FREE [WOMAN]."