Letter to Maria (part 3)

From what I've seen, young people everywhere are troubled by the fact that a
lot of the time when they are talking to an FGA‚ after about five minutes they
realize they're talking with someone whose mind is so regimented and molded
and dare I say old-bottlish that they can't see anything past the end of their
noses. It's exceedingly frustrating, to not put too fine a point on it. Now
why does it seem that almost everything that a young person does or could do
to have fun, or be inspired, is either taboo‚ looked down upon, restricted, or
even banned in the Family? Sometimes it seems that these policies are
deliberately designed to make sure that young people never get to do anything
that is fun (aka “worldly”). A lot of “rules” are really hard on morale, and
that's just part of the problem. Anyway, it's back to her shared room. Can't
she get online and chat to one of the friends she sacrificially left behind or
something? Well, besides the fact that the computer is so booked, there's also
the ever-present frowning of a couple FGAs as they walk by and mutter
something about time wasters and the evil influences of the Internet that
she'll have to deal with. OK, so how about some music? She would like to
listen to something good for a change. FTTs??? Excuse me when I say I'd rather
listen to the sound of a constipated baby crying.
The music that gets out to us in the form of “FTTs” is so wack, the style is
so dated, not to mention less-than-original sounding, that it just plain
doesn't appeal to you. I realize that a lot of work and effort goes into these
“FTTs,” but I honestly don't know why they bother. I can't remember the last
time I listened to an FTT. Come to think of it‚ none of my friends can either.
When I say that none of the teens I have met ever listen to FTTs personally
and enjoy them, I truly mean NONE! I don't mean to say that I can do any
better myself. Not at all, there are many talented people working on the
Family tapes. I'm just saying that the style of the “Family Teen Tapes” is
something that I've seen only my parents and young children enjoy. The Family
makes excellent music for kids and adults alike. But we just haven't produced
anything that young people want so far. And it's not that you don't want to
listen to Family music. Some people (usually FGAs) interpret the young
people's rejection of FTTs to be a form of rejection towards the Family or
Family items and/or values. That's not the case. It's just that “Family music”
in its present state doesn't appeal to young people. I think that that
statement is almost literally a proven and well-known fact!
You would most certainly like to go out two-by–two. But the only other person
on WNR is your brother, and he sleeps WNR away ... I can't imagine why. Or can
I?
By now she really can't think of much to do. Either she can't, because of the
“rules‚” or it costs money. But tomorrow's another day. Got to press on ...
Movies, music, games, sex, going out on Saturday night, spending money ... all
stuff that some people have more or less than others, depending on
circumstances. But we can all do without it for the sake of the Family, right?
Perhaps sometimes, or even most of the time for some, but you will remember
what Dad said: “All work and no play makes a dull student, and an even worse
witness.”
Skipping, skipping, skipping…. It is now next year. This girl in my story was
one of my best friends. Now she is out of the Family. She came to visit for a
day, and of course I wanted to see her. In the course of our conversation I
ask, “Hey, what happened?” “What made you leave the Family?” I ask. She was
always stronger than most of us, dedicated, just basically a great person.
When she tells me her all-too-familiar story, I just look down and shake my
head. See‚ we've all lived this.
Granted‚ it is better now than it was before, when we (as kids) would get
literally beaten for not standing in line, have duct tape stretched across our
faces when talking out of turn, or be on “silence restriction” 24 hours a day
for weeks on end. Then of course there was the “paddle designer.” On request
of some adults, this “Paddle Designer” would design wooden paddles‚ carve them
out, drill holes in them and sometimes suggest that they be wet before used as
to maximize the pain as much as possible. I remember watching a kid get
repeatedly spanked so hard that his skin literally busted and began to bleed.
I don't know precisely what the legal definition of “child abuse” is in your
country, but in most places, if you do that, you get locked up for a long,
long time. I don't really have a problem now with the brutal punishments we
received as kids. It is a little hard to feel friendly living around the same adults