This headline probably made you roll your eyes or assume I am completely delusional, However, I stand by what I said. In this article you will read how Taylor Swift became my best friend, and how she might even be yours, too.
Taylor Swift is someone I have looked up to since I was nine years old. She is charismatic, humble, genuine and authentic. All of these are characteristics of someone I would want to be best friends with. Our friendship started when I had my first crush and listened to "Teardrops On My Guitar" endlessly when I was told he didn't like me back. Our friendship continued on as I went through my freshmen year of high school listening to "Fifteen" and realizing that Taylor is in fact right when she says, "I've found time can heal most anything and you just might find who you're supposed to be. I didn't know who I was supposed to be, at fifteen."
Learning that girls are mean in high school was one of the harder lessons I've learned in life, but coming home from school and blaring "Mean" through my iHome was the best satisfaction I could have ever gotten. We got even closer when I fell in love for the first time my junior year of high school and could finally understand what she meant about "sparks flying" and someone being, "the best thing thats ever been mine." She was the one that could put what I was feeling in my relationship into words.
Our bond grew stronger when that relationship came crashing down my freshman year of college and all I could do was sob on the bathroom floor while listening to an array of her songs that all stitched my quilt of tears into incredibly well-worded lyrics. During this time Taylor and I became the ultimate BFF's. I even sat at the piano in the lecture hall of my dorm learning to play "Back To December" over and over while watching videos of her playing it in concert until 2 in the morning. This was about the only thing I knew how to do other than be upset.
About a year later I wasn't so sad about the breakup anymore, and had really gotten to spend time on building myself back up. It was almost like I had to learn to fall in love with myself before moving on. It was right around this time, the start of my sophomore year of college, that Taylor released the first single off of 1989, "Shake It Off."
It just so happens that when this occurred, I was in the very same room as Taylor herself, ABC studios, in New York City. This was no coincidence. I would later learn that Taylor hand-pickedthe 89 fans that were in that studio with her. The night ended with all 89 fans going back to Taylor's apartment and celebrating the release of "Shake It Off." I did in fact get to speak to and hug my best friend that night, and although I was practically unable to speak to her due to being in complete shock, somehow I think Taylor knew just how badly I needed to be there at that time in my life.
After listening to 1989 I felt that my friendship with Taylor had come full circle. The underlying message of the album is one that is shown on the screen at the end of every one of her concerts, and it reads, "she lost him but found herself, and somehow, that was everything."
Our friendship grew from all of those various reasons above, throughout the 19 concerts of hers that I have attended, and finally to stepping foot in her upscale apartment in New York City. Later, in May of 2015 I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Swift on her "1989" World Tour. As soon as I stepped into the room Taylor's eyes lit up and she said, "Oh my goodness, second time seeing you in six months!" It was at this moment I knew that Taylor was my best friend, and never in my life had I hugged anyone more.
The most awesome thing is, so many people call Taylor was their best friend. People have stories like I do, relate to her songs and listen to her music when something happens in their lives. I've been among a crowd of people at her shows and seen everyone singing her songs back to her. We all feel a certain emotion while listening to the lyrics she has written about her life that have now become a part of ours. She is relatable, funny, independent, successful and humble; all qualities you and I look for in a best friend.
