A Memory

Alternate Title: Why I Love Taylor Swift


There's lots of discussion of Ms. Swift out there today, as her album titled "1989" was covered by indie-rocker Ryan Adams and it was released today. Hipsters everywhere are confused by event, not knowing if they can love Ryan Adams while singing the lyrics of T-Swift. To me (and Rick), this is a big day. While those who know us know we love Ryan Adams, not many know that we BOTH love Taylor Swift.


Like, really like her.


As in, there's one particular song of hers that can, if I am in the right mood, make me cry.


Here's the story of my love affair with TS:


I can't remember the occasion, but I was hugely pregnant with Annie. We were at my parent's house and my nieces, Parker and Chloe, were there. I can't remember the details, but for some reason their friends were also at the house. The girls were young. I think around 7 and 9, and they were singing karaoke.


Rick and I were standing in the doorway watching the girls goof off and sing songs we knew nothing about, because we were previously hip people and listened to people like Ryan Adams and lord knows who else because I am so tragically unhip now I can't think of anyone else that makes music other than Kenny Rogers...but you get the point.


Then Taylor Swift's "Love Story" song comes on the karaoke machine and the girls were all apparently so nutzo over this girl that they all start screaming this song, in unison, at the top of their lungs.


It was this moment where I kind of both went forward and backward in time at once. I went backwards to when I was 7 and I listened to songs about love and sang them with all my heart at the top of my lungs, even though I knew nothing of the topic. It was fun and innocent and my friends were everything.


And I also flashed forward, thinking the baby girl in my belly would one day be a 7 year old girl, who loves music and her friends and songs about falling in love, and daydreams of one day meeting her person. It was a glimpse into our futures and I remember this overwhelming emotion. I am pretty sure I even cried (Rick can confirm this, though the way my pregnancy hormones were, crying wasn't exactly an exceptional thing for me).


The thing is, even now when I hear that song, I am instantly taken back to that moment. Not because of the words of the song; it's about Romeo and Juliet and love against all odds and all of that. I can't relate to the words themselves, because Rick's not from the wrong side of the tracks and I was never one for sneaking out at night.


But that feeling I had, watching those girls, thinking of my own girl and what she would be like and all the experiences she will have and people she will love, and that will love her, still chokes me up every time I hear that song.


So that's when I started loving her. And I will never stop.


Like, ever.