Nothing navigates me through life more than country music. Each path I take and direction I follow, country music always seems to have it all planned out for me already. When it’s summertime and then wind is blowing through my curly hair, I find myself in the exact same position as Billy Currington when he sings “Good Directions”. When I am sad or missing my grandfather, I pop on some Riley Green and sooth myself to “I wish grandpas never died”. No matter where I find myself, country music knows where to take me and always seems to have my life planned out for me. “Boy” by Lee Brice, a song that unravels the upcomings, heartbreaks, struggles, challenges and joy of growing up, seems to relate to me like a heart broken girl relates to Taylor swift. It just knows exactly what I am going through. 

As I listen to the song, It is no longer by Lee Brice but by a guy who has been there with me through it all, a guy whose voice isn’t nearly as good as Lee Brice, but has a greater impact on me. My dad. The man I strive to be. 

Lee Brice, I mean my dad sings, “You’re going to drive and kiss, and throw a punch, and grow up way too fast.” The first time I played against Calvert Hall in 2021, it was away. We lost and I was enraged. I didn’t speak to my teammates or family after the game and I stormed out of the stadium with the intention of no interaction with others. Failing as a leader. Yet, the first person to stop me was my dad. He was enraged too. Not that we lost or that I didn’t have the best game but he was angry at my attitude. He gave me a stern talk and put me in my place. Suddenly I heard him start singing the song again. “You're gonna know it all, You’ll think you're ten feet tall. Walk like you’re bulletproof.” He taught me to be the leader and set a role for my teammates. It’s not about being a good soccer player or winning a game, but rather being a good, genuine person.

    Three months fly by and it is now the championship. McDonogh against Calvert Hall. In the second overtime, Calvert Hall quickly sneaks a goal in, allowing them to win against us once again. Right when that ball went into the net, I heard his voice again. “You’re gonna drop the ball, hit the wall and break some hearts like glass.” This time I didn’t storm off the field nor ignore anyone. I remembered the previous loss to Calvert Hall and the talk I had with my dad when he stopped me as I stormed off. My first reaction after losing the game this time is to console my teammates as the tension in all of our eyes and noses begin to grow stronger and stronger. Defeat. But growth. All I can hear him singing at this point is, “and grow up way too fast”. As I see my dad after defeat all I can think to myself is this is why “I wish grandpas never died”. My dad was once the boy and his dad sang this to him. My dad is proud and the last thing he sings to me is “ But you won’t feel the way I’m feeling now. Until you have a boy”. And when I have my boy I will sing it to him.