Taylor (Sorry, not sorry it’s long)
Taylor Swift has been a part of my life since 2006. I remember my best friend, who’s more like my brother TBH, telling me about this girl he saw on a music video singing about Tim McGraw. We searched all over for her self titled debut but being from New England, it didn’t seem to be nearly as prevalent. Still, we both found copies and played it on our road trips.
Fast forward to 2008, I meet the most amazing girl and she loves Taylor too. I get Fearless on release day and it becomes one of our albums, so to speak. Her music was basically our relationship and we actually contemplated sending her an actual invitation to our wedding as well as a fan letter explaining why she meant so much to us. On our honeymoon, my wife took part in the American Idol Experience in Disney World. What did she sing? Love Story
Now her and I are taking on the world together and things begin to change. Speak Now comes out and “Mine” is very much us. I can’t sing but she puts up with me doing the “guy’s part” when we listen to it. Red hits in 2012 and all the big singles are enjoyed by us. Nothing seemed to fit our relationship at the time though. Little did I know that “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” would end up being the connection to us 7 years later.
2014 rolls around and she’s pregnant. She’s due in July but the baby has to come out early, 11 weeks early to be exact: April 29th, 2014. Our daughter was born very small and spent 93 days in the NICU. Taylor just wasn’t important anymore, my wife and I lost touch with her. “1989” comes out and we don’t really pay it much attention. At some point though, I begin to make our daughter “dance” to “Shake It Off” by moving her legs and arms and she loves it.
We have a son in late 2016, he’s born full term. By now, the relationship between my wife and I is dying but neither of us really want to see or admit it. We get along but the chemistry has vanished. “reputation” comes out but she has lost interest in Taylor and I’m only marginally aware of her new stuff.
“Lover” is announced in 2019 and she still couldn’t care less. At first, I didn’t like “Me!” either but it grew on me. All of the subsequent single releases are great in my opinion and I start to get excited about the album, especially after connecting with a group of Swifties on here and seeing how she has touched their lives. The album comes out on August 23rd and I buy a copy of the deluxe edition.
A little over a week later, I go to work on Labor Day. On my ride home, she texts me to say that she came to the conclusion that we need a break, she doesn’t want to live like this anymore, she has moved out and back in with her parents, she still wants to be friends and coparent but the relationship was dead and we both deserve happiness. I haven’t purposely listened to Taylor since then.
Hearing Taylor sing “Love Story” tonight brought back so many memories and prompted me to write this. It’s been two and a half months since she left and I’ve picked up the pieces for the most part. I’ll never forget how Taylor Alison Swift gave us a framework for our relationship and I wish her all the love and positive feelings in the world.