Artist of the Decade

I'm not sure how to start this one off other than with a question, what does music mean to you?

Is it something to fill the silence, background noise to work to, something to get your thoughts going, beats that make you want to shake it off, what is it? For me personally, it's my savior after a long day, it's the perfect vibe to make have a good time and dance, it helps me get in a feel good headspace, and it makes me feel connected to that particular artist. There is one defining moment when you latch onto an artist, one instance that shakes your soul at the core from their lyrics and connects you on the same brainwaves. Most of you that truly appreciate music are reading this thinking, what was that moment for me and who did I connect to? Guys don't stress, it can be more than one artist but it is only one particular moment that made you go, oh my gosh I felt that line, chorus, song, or album!

I was in middle school the first time I ever saw Taylor Swift on CMT, long curly blonde hair, laying on the hood of a pick up truck and playing her guitar. Just to clarify this wasn't my moment but she is the artist I latched onto, I listen to her music daily and still to this day, I deeply feel the emotion in her lyrics and songs.

The moment that officially made me a lifelong Swiftie took place while I was still in middle school, at first I thought she wasn't country music material and was only popular because she was pretty, (little did I know she would age like fine wine and become absolutely stunning). I wanted to hate her, she didn't seem like she was a country girl and didn't deserve her fame or amount of fans that quickly grew but I couldn't. I gradually started listening to more and more of her music and grew fonder of her as I also aged but we are getting to the best part!

My defining Swiftie moment was in 2009, I was going into the ninth grade and I was still trying to figure out the kind of person I wanted to be. I had a bestfriend named Kerry Farley since we were in the same elementary school and this girl was popular, I mean she knew everyone and had all of the boys attention. Not to mention that she was a great athlete so she already had a pretty good idea of what direction her life was going in, I was the complete opposite. I was shy, animals had more of my attention that boys, I liked video games and didn't have a sport I was great at just yet, not to mention my parents had a miserable divorce and couldn't even be in the same room with one another. Kerry's parents had been together since they graduated high school and were both very successful, my mom was struggling to get her Bachelor's with two kids that stayed up her ass 70% of the time (kids appreciate your parents).

When you enter high school it's scary, you don't know which group you will fall into, you don't know where to go, what time lunch is, when you will get your period, lose your virginity, etc., my point being it's easy to lose yourself in trying to fit in. 2009 was when I started to wonder why boys weren't paying more attention to me even though I was told I was pretty and popular (homecoming all four years). Was I doing something wrong, giving off bad signals, too tom boyish, wore the wrong clothes, didn't cake my face with makeup, what the hell was it?!

I was sitting alone in my basement, on the computer using Myspace I believe and listening to the radio when I heard it, You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift. I connected with every single word she belted into my stereo speakers, "she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts, she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers", this was my defining moment. The moment I knew she understood how I felt, Kerry was the total opposite of me but got everything I wanted, even her boyfriends had better conversations with me but thought she was hotter. This was the moment I knew I could count on all of her songs to connect with my feeling and boost my mood to just keep being me and I would surround myself with people who liked me for me.

I found my husband at 19 years old, he bought me an engagement ring within 5 months of us dating, he said I was his person and it was also in the moment that I was silently thanking T Swift for teaching me to just be myself and everything else will fall into place. We have been happily married for almost six years now, with a three year sassy daughter and we as a family jam out to T Swift on a regular basis.

So I would like to thank my secret bestfriend that I've had for about 12 years now, you helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life and made my realize it's okay to be different. The Hiltner family will always be a Swiftie family and continue to spend a ridiculous amount of money on seats to your concerts because you are worth way more than just the words you write.