Taylor Swift "Love Story"

This love is difficult, but it's real -- Taylor Swift "Love Story"

Coming home the other day I was listening to the radio and one of my favourite songs was playing. The song "Love Story" from Taylor Swift has struck a chord with many people, and I am one of them. I believe that what she is singing about is something most of us have run into in our own lives: You have a relationship and your family member or friend or someone else does not approve.

I know from my own personal experience, especially in unconventional love relationships, there are always going to be people who do not approve of what you are doing. It seems that often this type of objection does not even make a lot of sense from a logical perspective. As an example, it is considered acceptable for an older man to have a much younger woman as a romantic partner, but an older woman having a much younger man as her lover is considered to be a "cougar" and for many this is not considered acceptable. For someone to marry a person from a different race or creed has definitely been more than enough reason to be ostracized from certain groups, even today.

Sometimes this disapproval is directed at a romantic relationship, as is in this Taylor Swift song, but even simple friendships can be subject to the same types of issues. Maybe your friends are not accepting that you like to spend time with someone who is from a different socio-economic background. Sometimes your family does not like the fact that you want to hang around someone of a different sexual orientation. Perhaps there are those close to you who do not want you to socialize with those with physical or mental disabilities.

What I think really attacts me to this song is the fact that the story does have a happy ending. The "haters" don't win! I think this is a great lesson to take away from this. You don't have to confom to what "people" think. You need not live your life according to what someone else wants. This can be difficult, but if it is real, something magical can happen. Optimistically, like the Romeo and Juliet that Taylor Swift describes, people can come around and open up to your way of thinking.

To quote the Rolling Stones -- "You can't always get what you want / But sometimes you just might find / You get what you need"

Zac Brown Band "Chicken Fried"

I was at Karaoke one Friday night and heard my buddy Albert sing the song "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band. He was doing a great performance as usual and the sound was great. The folks in the place were clapping and singing along (and I was one of them, which as people who know me will tell you, is not an unusual thing). Later on, I got to thinking, why do we like this song?

At first glance it doesn't seem logical. The lyrics talk about a deep connection with American Country culture, with references to "the stars and stripes" and "being grown in Southern ground" among others. We were in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Albert is from St John's, Newfoundland. I've lived in Hong Kong and Toronto, among other places. I figure most of the folks singing along haven't been to the places that Zac Brown is reminiscing about and have never journeyed to the orchards in the Southern U.S. where the peaches grow.

But I really think the chorus is where we can take a look to see what we can all relate to. "You know I like my chicken fried / A cold beer on a Friday night / A pair of jeans that fit just right / And the radio up" -- there's something must of us can agree with. I've run into few people who would dispute the benefits of a jeans that work for your body type, a cold beverage after a long week of work, a tasty bit of fried chicken or music on the radio to go along with whatever you happen to be doing. Frankly, if I can find a pair of jeans that make me look good, I would try to buy an extra pair!

I believe this is where the continuing attraction to country music comes from. This music tells our stories. These are stories that you can relate to even if you've never lived on a farm, never attended a rodeo, or any of the other experiences that the music talks about. Because on a different level, Zac Brown talking about "the simple things in life that mean the most / not where you live and what you drive / or the price tag on your clothes" is something that makes sense whether you are living in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong or Mississauga, Ontario or Atlanta, Georgia.

What I hope to write about are some of these stories and what they mean to me. Perhaps there are some thoughts that I have that may have some meaning or interest to you. I want to share and I hope you will find at least some of it interesting.