Taylor-Swift

Taylor Swift is a talented and insightful musician

In a recent song by Taylor Swift, a young woman laments that her guy-friend cannot see that she would make a great girlfriend.

The song, titled “You Belong with Me“, is beautifully written, with a simple, down home beginning and a strong, soaring finale.

Listening to the song it is easy to ask, “Why is this guy so blind to what is right in front of him?”

As the singer narrates, the young man is attracted — as our society encourages — to a different woman, a fancier woman, who wears short skirts and high heels. The downside? His current girlfriend doesn’t get his sense of humor, like his music, or have a clue what his story really is.

Is this situation a surprise to anyone?

In an age where fashion and entertainment are key elements of society, many people fall prey to the Emperor’s new clothes. Both men and women are besieged with images of glamor and persistent promises of happiness through ownership and how we look. We are told, repeatedly and every day, what’s in right now and what to buy to be cool.

But as most people learn, pursuing what is cool is an endlessly moving target — achieved for brief shiny moments — and driven largely by companies intent on slimming our wallets as they sculpt our look.  Fashion can be fun, but it can mask who we really are, and keep us from what might really make us happy.

In Taylor’s song, the young woman wishes her friend would see how she is a better match for him, but she does not directly tell him.  She is exasperated by his failure to see her true heart and value, but is either too shy or too proud to tell him.

This is an unfortunate side-effect of a culture encouraged to surpass and achieve more — where honesty and humility are valued, but less than we deserve.

[Note: In the music video for the song, the song’s two characters do communicate better, passing “text” messages by writing on pads of paper.]

“You Belong with Me” is a wake-up call about valuing the people in our lives, and a reminder for all of us — to know and show our own hearts — to let our real self show through the fashion and possessions.

If every last shred of designer-wear were to disappear from Earth, we might look a little less fancy, but we would more clearly know and show ourselves.

It is the heart of each person that we need to recognize and care about.

Know your heart. Show your heart.

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