Walking With Taylor is a Good Thing

I stay up too late......especially if something is eating at me.

I don't consider myself one of those easily-offended, overly-sensitive types but a friend said some harsh words while laughing at me and it felt like a stinging slap. Her words hurt. Like really.

Late into the night, I'm up - thinking about it. 

In the morning, I'm talking to her in my head while I vacuum.  Don't you remember how I tried to help you? Why would you say something like that about me?  

And while I sort laundry, I went out of my way for you.  

While I pull weeds, Why didn't you tell me you felt that way?  

And while I'm cleaning toilets, I thought you were my friend.  

Into the late afternoon and early evening, I am thinking about it some more, and I'm talking to her in my head some more and I'm trying to make sense of it some more.  And this is all just getting me no where.  I am exhausted and numb....

Feels like I got nothin' in my brain.

Time for a walk.

Its dusk - almost dark.  I put my ear buds in and I'm off.  

I have more courage on dusky walks then I do on morning walks.  Everyone can see me on my morning walk so I walk responsibly. I would never snap or clap or bust a move on a morning walk.  And I don't sing out loud either.  What if I'm not sounding as good as I think I sound? Probably not the case, but what if?  

But at dusk -  just before almost dark - its sort of like I'm invisible.  

I start singing -- out loud.  And cruising,

         I can't stop - won't stop - moving,  
         Its like I got this music in my mind sayin' its gonna be alright.

Me and Taylor clap three times in unison here and it is glorious.  We are belting it out and I gotta say, together we sound pretty good.

         Heart breakers gonna break break break break break
         and People gonna say things about you that hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt 
         (I added this line and Taylor loved it.)

         Shake it off.  Shake it off.

I'm really feeling it now.  I'm all happy clappy cruising down the sidewalk. I close my eyes to give the next line a little more passion - trip over my left foot - move sideways and bump into Taylor who falls off the curb and lands in the gutter. "Oooh, I'm so sorry. I'm not much of a dancer."

"Well, I never miss a beat," she says hopping back up beside me. "I'm lightning on my feet!"  She winks and giggles..... "Actually, I make up the moves as I go."

She puts her hand on my shoulder and tells me that she and I are kinda the same:  Really good at some things and not so good at others.  We keep cruising and moving and shaking it off.

Somewhere between one 'Shake it off'' and another 'Shake it off,' a man passes by with his dog.

I didn't see him coming.

Had he noticed me cruising and moving down the sidewalk?  Did he hear me singing out loud?  Oh my goodness, was I even on key??!

And here's the most embarrassing part.  Because I normally walk early in the day, I called "Good Morning!" after him.  Urgggg.

Taylor senses my embarrassment and calls back to the man, "Hey, hey, hey, while you've been hanging out with your cute little dog taking some boring evening stroll, my friend and I have been gettin' down to This. Sick. Beat."  She giggles again and we keep on cruisin'.  

          Shake it off.  Shake it off.
          Taylor backs me up here...."You've got to" 
          Shake it off.  Shake it off.

Part of me knows that I'm going to have to go deeper to really resolve this...you know, get the Lord in on it, but for now it just feels so good to be out cruising and moving and singing my heart out with Taylor.

          Its like I got this music in my mind sayin' its gonna be alright.

          Cause, heart breakers gonna break break break break break
(Here comes the line I wrote again, because it bears repeating and because its just so good.)
          People gonna say things about you that hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt 
          Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
          Shake it off.  Shake it off.

Once I'm a few doors from my house, my singing slows down, gets whispery and tapers off......

          Shake it off...  Shake it off....

Taylor moves on to another song and I remove my ear buds.

As I reach the front porch,  I am amazed at how much better I feel.  Refreshed and rejuvenated. Wow. This walking with Taylor is a good thing.  I take one more deep cleansing breath and open the door. My mind is calm and more peaceful. I'm glad to be back home. 



P.S.
And to the fella over there.....With a little less hair.....



Won't you come on over baby,  We could shake--shake--shake....."