Okay, the title doesn’t have the same ring as “Me and Bobby McGee,” but it does have a story.
It begins with the confession that I am a “Swifty.”
At least, that’s what one of my granddaughters recently said I was. For the very few who might not know, a ”Swifty” is a devoted fan of the most commercially successful singer-song writer ever, Taylor Swift.
But if I’m a Swifty, I’m not your typical one. For one thing, I’m an old one, would probably be considered ancient by other Swifties.
But I’m not too old to know genuine greatness when I see it, and Taylor Swift exudes greatness.
I don’t say that because of Taylor’s music. Full discloser, I’ve never listened to a Taylor Swift song all the way through in my life. I suspect some of you can say the same thing.
I have seen her interviewed and after hearing her explain the inspiration and process of her song writing, it became obvious that she is an exceptional song writer. The sold-out crowds that attend her concerts and her record sales leave little doubt that she is amazing musical talent.
But neither of those explains why I am a Swifty. Instead, I have read about her to such an extent that I have come to believe she is using her immense talents and gifts to make the world a better place in exceptional ways when she could easily be doing none of what she does.
For one thing, already in her young life (she’s only 36), Taylor Swift is proving to be a class act in every way.
I will give specific reasons I say that in a minute, but the big picture of her as a person is that she is a humble, mature, engaging, bright, and self-effacing woman with principles, beliefs, and grace born of a strong moral character.
She is the kind of person that makes it easy to root for her success, to celebrate her achievements, and to wish for every good thing to come her way.
She works hard and seems to ask nothing in return except a fair chance to make it in a very rough and tough business, something she has done better than most.
I am also a Swifty because I admire her independent spirit that exemplifies what it means to take control of your own life without losing your humanity, grace, or character.
Taylor was 15 when she recorded her first song. She wrote all the songs on her first six albums produced by record label, Big Machine Records.
After she left the label, because they had copyrights to the master recordings, they sold her original masters to a private firm without her consent, leaving her with no share of the royalties.
Taylor owned the copyright to the lyrics and music, giving her the right to re-record every song on those albums because she wrote or co-wrote them. She did that and then released them in 2021 on her own and urged the public to use “Taylor’s Version: albums rather than the original ones.
It was an ingenious idea that gave her complete control over her own artistic productions, and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
A third reason I am a Swifty is because she has maintained close ties with her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, the latter serving as Taylor’s manager.
The exact nature of her parents’ relationship remains private, but there is no question that her mother and father support their daughter in every way and she keeps them close to her side.
I love hearing that kind of story. It tells me Taylor has not forgotten where she came from and remains grateful for the sacrifices her parents made to help her realize her dreams.
The fourth reason I am a Swfity is because she sticks to her convictions in spite of the risks doing so involves.
In 2018 she opposed Republican Marsha Blackburn’s U. S. Senate bid in the state of Tennessee, despite Donald Trump’s criticism of it.
In 2020 she endorsed Joe Biden and urged American Swifties to vote for him, believing that Trump was “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism.”
In 2024 Taylor endorsed Kamala Harris for President. That’s when Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I HATE Taylor Swift.”
Of course, he does. He does not understand the kind of woman she is because of the kind of man he is.
Trump has no capacity to understand a major public figure who is unafraid to be a genuine patriot and to speak out when it would be easy and self-serving to remain silent in the face of the political evil he embodies.
But of all the reasons I am a Swfty, the one that stands above all the rest is her incredible depth of compassion for others.
Obviously, Taylor’s parents instilled enduring values in their daughter that have stayed with her.
Space does not permit me to list all the ways Taylor, the world’s first youngest woman billionaire, has helped and is helping others, but here are some of them.
- In 2011 she donated 6,000 books to the library in her hometown of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
- In February, 2015, she donated $50,000 in song proceeds to NYC schools.
- She has supported the African Parks Foundation of America (APFA), which focuses on
eradication of poaching and nature conservation. - In August, 2016, she pledged $1 million to Louisiana flood relief
- In 2017, in honor of her mother, she gave a substantial donation to the Houston Food Bank after
Hurricane Harvey. - In March, 2020, she donated $1 million to the Nashville tornado relief efforts.
- She has generously supported Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation that helps women
victimized by sexual assault - Because the Era Tour proved exceptionally successful, Taylor gave $100,000 bonuses to the
Tour truck drivers that amounted to a total of $5 million. - Then, of course, she and Travis Kelce donated 26 million to 20 charities across the country
before their wedding at Madison Square Garden, including a 2 million gift to Dolly Parton’s
Imagination Library, a program that mails free books to kids.
In addition to all of these, Taylor has provided financial aid and support to countless individuals, especially children, suffering from illnesses and circumstances beyond their control.
None of it has been for show or self-serving goals. No, Taylor Swift helps others because of who she is.
So, yes, I am a proud Swifty, not for her music, but because of the woman she is.
Travis Kelce is a very lucky man, and so are the rest of us who are witnesses to how good a person can actually be and how much good they can do in the world when they are not wrapped up in themselves.
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