Goodbye Earl - Domestic Violence and Friendship

When three friends with three decades of shared trauma and friendship approached me about doing a best friend's photo session, I was all ears. I have known Amelia since our babies were babies, and she approached me because she knew I could tell their story. The friends wanted to recreate the iconic story of Mary Anne and Wanda, the beloved characters in the song 'Goodbye Earl' by The Chicks. The story tells about domestic violence and how friendship and girl power prevails.

In the song, Mary Anne leaves their small town after graduation, but Wanda sticks around and ends up in an abusive relationship with Earl. This is similar to Michelle and Jen's storylines in real life. They have both been in abusive relationships and Amelia has been with them to pick up the pieces.

The difference between Mary Anne and Wanda and the real Michelle and Jen though is that Michelle and Jen never poisoned their abuser with black-eyed-peas or took his body to a lake. But there have been a lot of late-night phone calls and safety plans being made.

In the United States, about it is estimated that 10 million people experience domestic abuse annually, or the equivalent to 24 people per minute that experience intimate partner violence. Forty-one percent of women experience sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. The effectiveness of restraining orders are mixed, with some saying only a 50% effectiveness rating, while other studies say 15-85%. If you are experiencing domestic violence, I urge you to get help. You can find resources online at the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Wanda and Mary Anne chose a far sinister path to rid Earl of his violence--they chose poisoning by black-eyed-peas.

I think it's important to remember that the story of Mary Anne and Wanda is fictional. Their abuse may have been based on a true story, but if you are reading this, please do not take violence into your own hands. Amelia and friends did this photo session as a joke and a story, not as an active plan.