When I was five years old, I wanted to be just like Natalie Maines. I wanted my hair cut like hers was, I wanted to sing like her, I wanted to wear the same clothes that she wore in the 'Goodbye Earl' music video, I even wanted my name to be changed to Natalie. I spent my kindergarten days singing songs that I probably didn't know the meaning of while most of my friends played with dolls and toy cars.
In 2000, she chopped off all her beautiful blonde hair and decided to go punk rock (at least in the hairstyle aspect of it). Even then, I wanted to do it. I wanted to spike my hair because Natalie did and six-year-old Kristyn wanted to be Natalie. In first grade, my two favorite songs were 'You Were Mine' and 'Loving Arms'. I thought the song 'Hello Mr. Heartache' was 'Hello Mr. Hard Egg' and I thought the line 'I've been too long in the wind and too long in the rain' (from 'Loving Arms') was completely literal and that I should maybe buy Natalie an umbrella so she wouldn't be sad.
In 2003, hell broke loose. On March 10th, Natalie addressed a crowd at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. She said;
"Just so you know, we're on the good side with ya'll. We do not want this war and this violence. And we're ashamed that the President of the United States was from Texas."
March 10th, also known as the day before we invaded Iraq, would be the infamous date of 'the comment'.
The Top of the World tour had just begun; actually, the March 10th show was the first of the tour. My mother had bid on four tickets to the concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. We were going to go. As you could imagine, this was eight-year-old Kristyn's dream come true. 5 seconds left in the auction on eBay.
Four seconds.
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
'We're sorry; you've been outbid by User: LauraKee.'
One second.
Auction closed.
I cried. We didn't get to see the Top of the World Tour. Apparently, it wouldn't have mattered if we had bought the tickets or not.
A few nights later, I couldn't sleep very well. My room, the one I shared with my, at the time, five-year-old sister, was dark and boring and the living room seemed more fun seeing as my dad's friend was over. I came out and sat on the couch next to my mother who was talking about something that mustn't have been interesting for a child of eight. Finally, I said "Mommy, can we get new 'Chicks tickets?" My mother looked up at my father's friend who had scoffed.
"The Chicks are in a little bit of trouble, sweetheart." He said, plainly. I looked up at my mother.
"Yeah, they said that they didn't like the President." My mother replied, nodding.
"Oh," I said. I made my voice sound shocked and maybe a little offended because I could tell that my parents and my father's friend wanted me to. I could sense that I was supposed to be upset. Something about their voices sounded angry and I was pretty sure that they expected me to be angry too. "So?" I was only eight years old and frankly, I didn't care what they said; they were 'the Chicks'. They were the coolest people alive. They were superheroes.
I wasn't allowed to listen to the Dixie Chicks in the house for a while. This made me mad. I told my gymnastics teacher that 'mommy and daddy wouldn't let me listen to any music in the house anymore'. I think she questioned my mother about the remark because the car ride home consisted of her explaining to me why it's wrong to tell people that she banned all music from our household. Oh, well, I thought, why does it matter?
What is a surprise, though, is that some people are still pissed off about 'the comment'. Alright, I have really had it with people. They really do think that they are truly tough and intellectual as they sit in the glow of their computer screen, threatening and insulting three talented and intelligent women who will never read their opinions nor will they ever care. These redneck, incompetent, Republicans who need spell-check to proofread a ten-line bit of hate mail think that their opinions really do matter. Well to all of the haters out there, I just have one thing to say; kill yourself.
And, finally.
Natalie decided, again, to chop off all of her hair.
Speaking as someone who clearly is fond of Ms. Maines, I mean this 100% respectfully; who the hell cares? Why is that news?! She did it 10 years ago, also! We know she can pull off the short-hair deal. Okay, we get it already! I've spent like two weeks on TMZ and random blogs cursing off people who feel the need to insult Natalie! I know, some people are still seriously pissed off. I get it, alright? But to say that you hope the reason she cut off her hair is because she has cancer? Fucking excuse me? I will kill you. If someone ever said that, out loud, in person, and I was standing anywhere remotely near them, I would, quite simply, destroy them.
Natalie Louise Maines Pasdar has been my idol since I was five years old. She is the only person to whom I have ever looked up to. She has been the one person who I've always looked at like they could do no wrong. I don't know why I've always felt this strongly about her but ever since I can imagine, I've wanted to grow up to be just like Natalie. To hear people insult that one person, to read the words and to hear the death threats in footage from 2003 just makes me sick. Never before have I been filled with such rage and disgust in my entire life than when I read and see these things before me. These three girls have changed my life with their courage and their music and to hear people try to tear them down just breaks my heart. It is sickening.
Natalie Maines will always be the most talented, beautiful, successful, inspirational person in the entire world to me. Deep down, I am still that five year old kid who wants to be just Natalie. I don't care what she does or says; Natalie Maines will always be my hero.
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