On my way downtown during my college years, I got the best
cat-call of my life. A guy (wearing an Eagles ball cap) saw me from across the
street and called “Hey, T. Swift!” It made my already-stressful day pretty
great, and confirmed that Taylor Swift and I are indeed twins.
But if you need proof, this is Taylor Swift.
And this is me.
Aside from our matching blue eyes and blonde(ish) hair we
both love tea...
Baking extremely complicated cookies…
Taking selfies with our girls…
And have completely manageable obsessions with cats.
Despite our (as of yet) unconfirmed twinship, I haven’t
always ranked myself among the other Swifties of the world. To be honest, there
have been times when I haven’t really identified with my musical look-alike.
Like most millennials, I first heard Taylor Swift when she
identified as a country singer, singing about the boys in high school who led
her on and her dreams of getting together with her crush who was currently
dating another girl. I could relate in one sense. I was single, pining after my
friend’s older brother (which never worked out, btw), but when the dreamboy’s
girlfriend was described as wearing short skirts and high heels, I balked. I’ve
never been the sneakers/t-shirt girl until recently, and I felt like it was a stereotype,
like these girly girls were the sluts who stole the perfect guy and flaunted
him in front of everyone. High school me tended to skip “You Belong With Me”
and play “The Best Day.” As a former bully victim who was saved by her
protective mom, this was, and still is, my favorite track on “Fearless.”
“Speak Now” more or less echoed my first college crush, which
lasted almost three years. Three years too long. The guy in question played
with my emotions more than the guy in “Dear John,” yet I thought he was the one
I would finally end up with. When he finally walked out of my life midway
through junior year, I felt like I was in pieces: my heart, my trust in all
guys was shattered. In a sense, it was the best thing to happen to me. Much
like Taylor, I submerged all my focus and time in my friendships with other
women who didn’t define themselves by their relationships, or lack thereof.
Those months following the breakup with my “Dear John” equivalent were the
healthiest I’d been in years.
“Red” never fully resonated with my life, though I count it
as my favorite T. Swift album to date. The catchy,
hurts-your-ears-every-time-you-hear-it “We Are Never, Ever Getting Back
Together” was a great confidence booster when my crush, or a friend’s ex, would
call up wanting to catch up. As was “22,” which is and will always be my
twenties-theme song.
August 2015, when “Shake It Off” was released, was the
beginning of a confusing fall semester. I was entering my final year of college
and felt a mix of anticipation and slight trepidation knowing I’d be leaving a
great period of my life. I had just seen my former crush since the night he
walked out on my life, and shortly after I learned that people I thought I
could count on were blaming me for the breakup. I was going through another
breakup with a college friend, one which sadly ended unresolved. I heard echoes
of these struggles in “Out of the Woods,” “Blank Space,” and “Bad Blood.” Even
though it hurt trying to keep my head up against the rumors and back-stabbing,
it helped knowing I wasn’t the only one.
“Welcome to New York” is the song I associate most with spring
break, when my two best girlfriends and I went to Baltimore and the beginning
of a new stage: self-acceptance. I realized that some people weren’t
meant to stay in my life forever. I had to let go of them, and shake off the
rumors that were being told behind my back. I focused on the people who I knew
I could trust: a few trusted girlfriends, my family, and some guys who I knew I
could just have fun with and be friends with. I began hanging out with one in
particular, David, on study-breaks in coffee shops and found that his sense of
humor could keep me smiling for days. I was so happy to have a friendship with
him that I didn’t even realize I was falling for him until a month before I
graduated. Fortunately, the possibility of a long-distance relationship didn’t worry
David, and the past ten months with him have been the best of my life.
Also, I find it hilarious that I realized I’d fallen for
David at our favorite coffee shop on a Wednesday night, when my trust in love
began again. Coincidence much?
So, thank you, Taylor Swift. I can’t wait to see what
happens next!
Xoxo,
Victoria
