Being A Puppet Master is Hard Work

Hello, the weekend I went tot he park with my children and I saw that some kids looked as if they were in an ad for GAP Kids instead of a place riddled with mud, dirt, grass and rocks.   Some parents take pride in dressing their children in the best clothes, matching socks and shoes and accessories.  I've seen kids at the playground who look like they belong on a GAP Kids billboard.  These same GAP kids are at the playground, but they can't really play because their parents don't want them to get dirty or scuff their perfect shoes.  Yes, its cute to dress your six year-old like a mini James Dean or Usher, but how practical is that? How much fun is that?  Then you have the kids whose parents know better, those are the kids who have on jogging pants, t-shirts, hoodies and whatever shoe matches on, but those are also the kids who are sliding down the slide, climbing on the jungle gym and just running around enjoying being kids.  Children have a lifetime to play dress up and yes there are some days when dressing your child nicely is necessary, but don't put too much pressure on yourself or on your child because after all they are just children.

Are You Geppetto? 

By definition a puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life.  Sometimes in relationships people tend to become puppet masters by manipulating their partner into doing what is necessary in order to maintain the relationship. For example, if a woman has to not only tell her husband that she expects flowers or whatever for her birthday, but also goes out of her way to make sure that he has the money freed up in order for him to be able to buy the flowers, then that is her playing the puppet master.  Another example, if a man feels that in order for his lady to cook a nice dinner for him he has to not only tell her what he wants to eat, but also go to the grocery store, pick out and purchase the ingredients and make sure she has everything necessary for the meal then he too is playing puppet master.
The puppet master of the relationship is selling him/herself in illusion that the person is doing something special for them when in fact they have not only ordered the steps and even carried out a few in order for their lover to do whatever it is that they desire.  Is it the same if you have to tell your partner what to do for you rather then them having their own desire to? I want my husband to remember my birthday and make it special in his own way rather than me having to tell him how to make it special for me.  If he doesn't feel the need to make it special then I know how he really feels.  In my book Skeletons, Mike thinking that he can save his marriage by manipulating certain situations he can keep Santana in love with him, but if the person has no want nor desire to, then his attempts are futile.

But What Happens When Carpel Tunnel Hits?

Carpel tunnel is a condition that is the result of a person conducting repeated tasks for an extended period of time; can you imagine how a puppeteer would get carpel tunnel from repeatedly working the strings of his/her puppet over time?  Just think about how a person who is playing the puppet master in a relationship,  constantly ordering the steps in order for your loved one to show you their love gets kind of tiring and in a sense depressing.  Being a puppet master is hard work, it requires one to overlook his/her own objectives in life in order to tend to manipulating the steps of another person.

What's a Puppet With No Strings?

If you cut the strings of a puppet it will fall, right?  Or could it do like Pinnocco whose desire to become a real boy were so strong that he was able to maintain without the strings?  If you are playing puppet master with your mate and you cut the strings will your relationship fall or is it strong enough that your mate will thrive without you pulling the strings?  I'd prefer the puppet with no strings, please...

I've got no strings

to hold me down

to make me fret, or make me frown

I once had strings, but now I'm free

There are no strings on me

Hi-ho-the-me-ri-o