You saw me there, but never knew that I would give it all up to be a part of this, a part of you.
At the heart of this song I find a girl who just wants to be seen, invited into a community, taken in for who she is, but feels alone and overlooked. As someone who has always struggled with finding community and friends I feel so jealous of the people who can walk into a new situation and feel comfortable, share their feelings, make themselves known and heard. I try to hype myself whenever I’m in a new circumstance meeting new people. I think to myself no one knows you are introverted or a bit shy, you can just walk in a feign confidence and no one would have a clue. I think about what I’m going to say and how I am going to be bold. And then I step in and I realize I am simply a quiet person, who thrives when invited to share but just simply struggles to show up alone.
Even creating this online platform feels so scary to me. I’m putting out my writing but what if it falls flat and just becomes another lonely place for me. I want so badly to find a community of people that share interests and are willing to help each other, but the fear of not being accepted, and the feelings of not having found that type of community for a long time are real.
But then I just keep thinking about how lots of people feel lonely. Lots of people want community that they don’t already have. And if it’s something I lack, maybe it’s something I can try to build. As much as I want other people to reach out to me and help me exactly as I need it, there is also a part of me that hopes that I have enough of the gifts or talents or audacity or whatever it takes to make a space where people can feel less lonely and can be invited in. I don’t want to look back and know I could have done something to help if I had wanted to and I don’t want to be someone who doesn’t notice others until it’s too late to do anything.
So while right now this is just a blog where we can share our thoughts about songs Taylor Swift has written, there are dreams of having it be a digital space of connection and community. People with similar interests finding other people and not feeling so alone. And if that is a community you want to be a part of, I hope you will stick around. Come by every so often and share your experiences and feelings and thoughts. This is your invitation, we need your voice here to be a strong and active community. Make this a place where people don’t feel on the outside anymore.
This is your invitation, we need your voice here to be a strong and active community. Make this a place where people don't feel on the outside anymore.
I love Taylor Swift’s music and have a deep curiosity about who it is so meaningful to so many people. If you have any thoughts about this song in particular please share it in the comments below so that me and the Swiftie community that finds this space can enjoy your insights.
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