What caught Shea Berkley’s eye as she surfed the net without a life vest
I don’t think there is a person alive who listens to popular music who doesn’t know who Taylor Swift is. (I used three who words in that sentence, and it makes sense. Go figure.) Sorry, I’m a writer. I get distracted easily.
Taylor Swift. Yep, I can’t get online these days without seeing something about her. She’s everywhere! Whether you like her or not, she’s got it going on. Serious upward mobility in the music industry and in her personal life… and she can teach us all something about living life.
“How?” you say with a challenge in your voice.
Let’s break down her recent web appearances.
The story of Ronan
After following Maya Thompson’s blog about her little boy, Ronan, who’d been diagnosed with neuroblastoma and recently died from the disease, Taylor wrote a song. (Notice, it’s what Taylor does.) She didn’t tell Maya what she was doing until the song was finished. Taylor then asked if she could perform the song Maya had never heard at Stand Up 2 Cancer. Honestly, that was a bold thing for Taylor to do. What’s just as surprising is that Maya trusted Taylor enough to say yes and didn’t ask to hear it first. The song is a touching tribute to a little boy and his mother and the joy and pain they shared.
What’s so awesome about this? Taylor’s performance instantly gave a face to childhood cancer. She used her celebrity status for something more than just a publicity stunt. With that one song, she has mobilized a nation and a world to sit up and take notice of something no one wants to talk about. Children dying of cancer. (The proceeds from the song which you can buy only on iTunes go to childhood cancer research.) It’s an amazing thing she’s done for a group of children whose lives are forever changed, and sadly more times than not, destroyed by such a horrific disease. Buy it, even if you don’t like Taylor Swift. Buy it because no one should have to suffer and die from cancer, especially a child. Buy it because that small amount of money you spend from your weekly budget will make a huge difference. I guarantee it.
Taylor Swift New Single ‘Ronan’ Stand Up To Cancer 2012 Performance HD – YouTube
Relationships
There is no one like Taylor who’ll lay it out there on the line when it comes to boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and girl isn’t going to stress over that anymore.
Whether you like her musical style or not, Taylor is a brilliant lyricist. Teenage relationships have never had a better troubadour. She tells her listeners exactly how love is, from ecstatic first meeting to gut wrenching heartache. And then she creates those songs that are in between. You know what I’m talking about; the ones that have that wonderful message of girl power. We don’t have to settle. We don’t have to endure stupidity. We can make mistakes, learn from them and reinvent our lives for the better. Her latest relationship song is a perfect example of that.
Taylor Swift: We are Never Getting Back Together
Here’s the thing
Taylor Swift is the real deal. She doesn’t care if what she does makes her popular. She is who she is. It’s a life lesson more of us need to learn. We need to think beyond ourselves. Make a difference. Change someone’s day for the better. Make music in our hearts because we’re never guaranteed we’ll be able to make music in anyone else’s.
Yeah, she’s tall, she’s pretty and she’s talented. Don’t hate her because she’s good at what she does or because you think her music is too… I don’t know, whatever it is you think it is that you don’t like. She works her way through life by putting her experiences in song. We all need to find a productive outlet to exercise our experiences. For me it’s writing novels. For some it’s poetry or journaling. For others it’s drawing or acting or knitting or.
Here’s what I absolutely know. What we should all be doing is getting out there and creating something meaningful where before there was only hopelessness. You are never too young or too old or too busy to help others. It’s what we’re here on Earth to do. Make life meaningful.
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Great post! I love that Taylor is not only a very influential person, but that she uses it to help others. I know she did the same thing for some areas that were hit hard by natural disasters. She gave concerts, then donated the proceeds. She’s a definite class act!