"Teardrops On My Guitar" (Duet)

"So, I drive home alone.
As I turn out the light...
...you'll put his picture down
and maybe think of me tonight?"

I pride myself as being one who is able to listen to and enjoy any genre of music. You name it, I listen to it. I do have my preferences and constantly pass in and out of phases of music that pique my interest, but there is no genre of music I don't like.

Well... except country music, that is.*

Among my CD collection I have two albums that classify as country and both of them are by Johnny Cash (well, one of them is a compilation, so I don't know if that one counts). Outside of Johnny Cash's music, there are no other country artists I particularly like and the country songs that catch my attention are very few and far between. However, I might have found a place for country in my heart.

This is my wife, Taylor Swift.

I'd heard a single of hers a while back. I'll admit right now, I didn't think it was that bad when I heard it. In fact, if it wasn't being played on a country radio station I would've sworn it was a pop song... except more honest, down-to-earth, and respectable than the majority of modern pop songs being released today. However, if anyone had asked me what I thought of it, I would've shunned it. It was, afterall, country music and it is a well-known fact amongst those who know me that I do not favor country music.

Not long afterwards, I happened to be watching MuchMusic and there was this stunning young woman being interviewed. I think the thing that really caught my attention was that she was dressed mature and like a lady; not dressed like a guy or sexually ambiguous or like a slut. They cut to a video of that song I'd heard on that dreadful country radio station and I was all, like, "Wow, she is really pretty!"

Through the interview segments that followed and further reading after the program had ended, I was truly impressed and intruiged by this girl they called Taylor Swift. She exhibited a maturity with a blend of fun, artistic talent, and a strong sense of self... things that made her insanely attractive to me (good-looks aside). It took a little convincing of myself, but I believe I was actually crushing on a celebrity.

Now, I haven't had a real crush on a celebrity in a very long time. Longer than I can remember. In fact, I thought I was beyond the mind-set of celebrity crushes. But there I was swooning over A) a celebrity and B) a country star. What had I become?!

I wasn't so worried about crushing on a celebrity than I was about being a fan of country music. I've always been able to tolerate it but, I never imagined in a million years that I'd become a country fan! So, I had to test myself. I sat in my room and listened to country radio all day. By the end of a few hours I was ready to cry, it was so painful. It was such a relief to know I hadn't been converted to country-ism... I was just a Taylor Swift fan.

I set this fact in stone the other day: I went out and bought her second album (which, I have to admit is not too bad at all). I now own a country album. Damn, it stil feels weird to say that. So, rather than say "I own a country album", I like to say "I have a Taylor Swift album". That's something I can say with pride.

I'm still the same old me, except with a Taylor Swift album. I was worried that I was letting go of myself a bit too much... allowing myself to change too much. It's normal to feel worried when going through changes but changes can be good. That being said, we need to constantly be aware of what we're changing into. We need to take charge of our changes when we can to keep from becoming people we don't want to be, be they small changes (like developing a fondness for country music) or big changes (like hating people you once loved or developing an ignorance towards things important in your life).

It wasn't long until Taylor heard of my devotion as a fan, and was intruiged. She flew to my city to meet me, where we had a nice dinner. I don't know what she saw in me but she feel head-over-heels in love with me. We were married shortly after and we lived happily ever after.

Just so you know, that last part isn't true...

(* I should point out that I do quite enjoy southern rock, which is moreso a sub-genre of rock than country)