Chin Up; Hold Your Head High!

Some of the women of Tokio Hotel fandom have been fans of the group without prompting from their children. The music and lives of the young rock band have earned respect, rather than dismissal, from us. Elderhausgirlz, her screen name, shares her connection as a fan with the band's independence and from the perspective as mother of a teen.

Although we didn't immediately realize it at the time, Tokio Hotel came into our lives at exactly the moment we needed them, when my preteen daughter and I were each struggling with gaining independence from what people all around us expected us to be. Bill's persistence in being his own person in the face of such negative feedback when he was my daughter's age was precisely the example she needed to follow her own path with her chin up and her head held high. For me, defending myself to those who felt my love of TH was "age-inappropriate" eventually made me realize that I, too, could be liberated from the age-restricted box that people tried to keep me in. Tokio Hotel's example of independence and freedom from preconceived notions changed our lives—so much for the better.

Thank you, E.  As my parting gift to you--hmm...I wonder which band member is E's favorite?