Tuesday, February 3, 2015

We got a "Girl in the War"...part 1

"Girl In The War"
Peter said to Paul you know all those words we wrote
Are just the rules of the game and the rules are the first to go
But now talking to God is Laurel begging Hardy for a gun
I got a girl in the war man I wonder what it is we done

Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul the only thing I know to do
Is turn up the music and pray that she makes it through

Because the keys to the kingdom got locked inside the kingdom
And the angels fly around in there but we can't see them
I got a girl in the war Paul I know that they can hear me yell
If they can't find a way to help her they can go to hell
If they can't find a way to help her they can go to hell

Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul her eyes are like champagne
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain  
-Josh Ritter
*********************
The war I speak of is not on the other side of the world, it's not in the middle east, it's not over there, it's not somewhere else....it's here in our own world.  The war? The struggle to be independent, her own person, who she is and will be for the rest of her life.  It's the breaking out of the cocoon of which she has been living in her whole life.  Its the war of morals versus free-will.  It's the war of wills versus rules, it's the fight against what was taught and what everybody else is doing, it's a war of what has been proven true and what needs to be yet proven again....the hard way.

Age of Enlightenment

There is this thing that seems to be happening to young girls as they turn a certain age, 16...17, or worse 18.  At age 18, the world changes for the parents...forever.  Doctors, teachers, guidance counselors, therapists stop talking to them....unless the parents had the smarts to have the child sign a waiver which states that they approve open communication with the parents after she turns legal.  Even with this permission, the communication can be guarded to protect the new "adult".

Rules change

All of a sudden the relationship changes within the family and that young, sweet girl disappears, I hear, for a time and then returns in a different form, calmer and more mature.  But until that time, the household goes into turmoil...for a time. New rules need to be drawn up and enforced to help alleviate some of the stress on the parents and instill some control within the home.  But theses rules may be the "first to go."

Mourning ensues

The parents, at a complete loss, looks at their transforming off-spring and wonders what they did, didn't do, or just "what happened to my little girl?"  Since there is no way to penetrate the stubborn hard shell that covers this precious young lady, all the parents can do is.....

.." turn up the music and pray that she makes it through".....

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