Speak Now.
Last night I was supposed to go see the Taylor Swift concert at Madison Square Garden. Key words: Supposed to. I didn’t have tickets, but I thought showing up an hour before the show started with a hundred dollars in my pocket would gain me two tickets into the arena. As you can probably infer, it did not and my night ended pretty early. However, on the way home, I passed a Best Buy retail store and purchased her concert on DVD. It’s sorta the same thing. Right?
As soon as I got home, I put the DVD in and sat on my bed and watched it. At first, I was getting depressed and said to myself “I don’t want to see this! This exact show is going on one mile from my bedroom!” but then the opening of the concert came on and I got a whole new attitude and perhaps, perspective, on the night. The beginning monologue of the show was, and is, my favorite part, because it embodies all of the reasons as to why I am a Taylor Swift fan. I know I get a lot of flack from people as to why I am such an avid fan, but I truly believe that this 21 year old has a great outlook on life, and knows just the right words to say what everyone is thinking.
Take her album and tour title, for instance. Speak Now. Most people that hear that don’t really think about the importance of those two words. What exactly is speaking now? And why should we do it? Well, I will tell you. But first I will tell you in the words of Ms. Swift herself.
“Real life is a funny thing, you know. In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial. So crucial, in fact, that most of us start to hesitate, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But lately what I’ve begun to fear more than that is letting the moment ass without saying anything. I think most of us feat reaching the end of our life, and looking back regretting the moments we didn’t speak up. When we didn’t say ‘I love you’. When we should have said ‘I’m sorry’…There is a time for silence. There is a time for waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you’ll know it. I don’t think you should wait. I think you should speak now.”
I remember the day I first read that paragraph on the insert of her CD and then hearing it spoken when I saw her concert in June, and then remembering it last night when I watched the concert. It made me really think for a while. So much, in fact, that I put the DVD on pause and opened Microsoft Word to write about it.
I cannot even count the times when I had the chance to speak up and say what it was I wanted to say, but out of fear and feeling vulnerable, I just let the moment pass me by. I want to kick myself every time I think of those moments. I feel so ashamed that I didn’t have the confidence and courage to tell people to their face that I loved them. Or that I was sorry. Or that they meant the world to me. I now have to live with those passing moments every day, and it is one of the worst feelings.
I urge you to take Taylor (and mine’s) advice and Speak Now. Don’t be nervous, scared, or embarrassed by the other person’s reaction or answer. Putting yourself out there is one of the hardest, yet greatest, things us as humans can do. Don’t live your life in regret.
So go out and tell someone what they need to hear. You never know. They could be in the same position as you and are just waiting for the perfect opportunity. There are too many stories I have heard about missed love and lost chances. Don’t walk away. Don’t hesitate. And don’t procrastinate. You never know what could happen tomorrow.
Thank you for reading this and giving me the chance to speak now.
I love you.
I am sorry.
You mean the world to me.
- James
