Hi, I’m onedeafswiftie (I’m exactly what that username suggests; a Taylor Swift fan who also happens to be a deaf young woman. There’s more to me than just that, of course, but for all intents and purposes I’ll leave you with that in my first tumblr post.) :)
Okay, here goes nothing. Music is one of the most wonderful things in life that I’ve ever experienced!
Yes, I’m aware that I just mentioned that I am deaf; how could I possibly have known the wonders of music and sound? The short answer? “hearing devices”.
Well, to elaborate and clarify: I told the truth when I wrote above that I’m deaf; because the thing is, while it’s true that I do wear hearing devices (mine in this case are “Cochlear Implants”); although I still consider myself deaf because whenever I’m not wearing my amazing miracles of technology, all I ‘hear’ is the vast cosmic oceans of true ‘deaf’ silence.
(I think that many tumblr users who are also deaf or hard of hearing may also agree that ‘deaf’ silence tends to be very different from ‘normal’ silence in many ways, as well as there being different experiences of it - I don’t have to detail all of them in this post right now. Please feel free to ask later if you want to)
I have literally grown up with silence as my constant companion and friend; and it will still exist with me through my entire life.
And... okay, I’m not going to go on and on about my experiences of silence right now, though, as I was going to write about a different topic! :)
Okay, so back to the original topic - music. I went off on a bit of a tangent there, heheh. I didn’t get to ‘hear’, or well, enjoy, the incredible and amazing thing that is music (and sound in general) until.. let’s see.. 2012.
Which is... oh, wow. That’s almost seven years ago, right?
So for a couple of years or so, I was easing into this new experience of actually hearing music properly for the first time in my life, and then who other than @taylorswift should come exploding into my world with her music?
So here’s a little ‘open letter’ I wrote for Taylor Swift!
Taylor, I want to tell you that you have inspired me; your wonderful songs has often encouraged me to jump up and just dance like no one was watching, to be happy and to stand tall and strong, to find more courage to take on the world and life like “YES I can do this, NOTHING can stop me now”.
I want to say that, probably like many other Swiftie fans, your songs have started becoming integrated into the soundtrack of my life; I’ve even ended up empathising with several of your love songs even though I’ve never encountered that kind of ‘significant other’ love before!
I have even somehow managed to learn almost all the words of most of the songs in both the 1989 and reputation albums, and I can actually recognise each song every time I ‘hear’ it come on the car radio or when I listen to your music on my phone via my specially-designed-for-cochlear-implants earphones now.
I’ve been listening to your music since around 2013, Taylor, and I’m so glad that you’ve been doing well ever since you first started.
I would also like to share with you the fact that the reputation Statium Tour last year was one of my VERY first live music statium performances I’ve ever attended, and it was the BEST thing that has ever happened to me!
I was very excited and happy because for the first time I had the awesome opportunity to hear and see you performing live, Taylor, and I found myself actually singing along and dancing my feet off with joy alongside all the other thousands of fans in that enormous statium in Brisbane for the very first time.
Dancing to your music in my room was one thing, but THAT amazing performance was another! I’ve loved all of it. 💗
It was the best night ever, Taylor, so thank you so much for one of the most INCREDIBLE experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I just wanted to let you know that. :)
I can’t wait to see what you have planned for the world to see (or hear) on the 26th, I have a feeling it will be amazing!
Looking forward to ‘hearing’ (and reading the lyrics) the songs on your new album soon. 😸
Please give your two gorgeous cats Meredith and Olivia a pat from me.
onedeafswiftie xoxo
@taylorswift @taylornation
