I’m Jake Hounds, and this is One Thousand Words or Less
EPISODE 13 - Are you there Taylor? It’s me, Jake Hounds.
Are you there Taylor? It’s me, Jake Hounds. I’m the dad of a Swiftie, and I wanted to tell you all the reasons I think you are amazing.
I’m sorry I never knew about your music until recently, although I had heard of you, without really knowing your work.
The first time I recognized your music was in the movie Sing, and everyone in my family, including my pre-Swiftie daughter loved your song, Shake it Up, especially when Guntar wasn’t singing! Reese Witherspoon sounded great though, don’t you think? In fact, you embody some of the best qualities of the fictional Elle Woods.
After that, I heard of you when my niece went to see your concert in Columbus, Ohio during the Reputation Tour. I still didn’t know many of your songs, and I marginalized your musical importance filing it under “music for young girls,” and for that I am sorry.
However, over the past couple of years, your influence has grown in my household, when my daughter started listening to you and quickly became a proud Swiftie.
There were tense moments around our house when Damon Albarn insulted you publicly. Gorillaz is my son’s favorite band, and we planned to take him and our daughter to their concert. It was great how you handled that, and the other public attacks with your bemused push-back. At least he sort of apologized, but my daughter’s animosity towards him has endured. Taylor, you can forgive, but I’m not sure that a Swiftie ever forgets.
We tried everything to get a ticket to your concert to create some balance for our daughter, but that didn’t work out. I know my daughter understands, but that doesn’t make her happy. It doesn’t make me happy either; I try to make my kids’ dreams come true, and I couldn’t do it this time, and that’s a bummer. I hope she doesn’t hold a grudge against me, as her friends were all equally disappointed with not getting tickets.
We have entered a few contests to win tickets, but those are more “Hail Marys” than anything else. Still, I have my fingers and toes crossed, that somehow lightning will strike and I can come through for my girl.
She went to see your concert film, she dressed up, she exchanged bracelets, and she had a blast. I know it’s not the same, but it still was a great experience. Later, we watched together when it began streaming. I thought you were terrific.
So, today I’m writing to you to express all the things that dad’s want to tell you, and to thank you for inspiring my daughter with your heart-centered excellence.
First of all, you are such an amazing role model, a successful, strong, and talented woman. You are the kind of person every dad wants his daughter to become. You handle your success with modesty and humor, which is such a rare occurrence, that finding a comparable seems unlikely. You are truly an original.
When I heard that last year you shared your tour success with all the people that helped you make it happen, I was stunned by your generosity. In a world where CEOs make millions while employees are laid off, you demonstrate the power of sharing success, by providing over 55 million dollars in bonuses to your staff. We need more leaders like you, and I know that you are inspiring a whole generation of young people to step up into the light of giving.
Speaking of giving, I have seen so many videos of you doing wonderful things for your special fans. From giving your hat away to a front row person, to meet and greets where you surprise people by showing up, I just can’t get enough of how wonderful you make people feel. One image that sticks in my mind, is you at a Chiefs game picking up glasses and taking them to the trash. What a human you are! Those humble gestures really define you as someone worthy of exceptional success.
Speaking of football, I know I’m not the only dad to be thankful for you becoming a football fan. While close-minded social media dudes complain about your presence at the stadium, and your cheer leading, there are so many more that welcomed their daughter’s curiosity and involvement, especially around watching the Super Bowl, because of your interest.
My daughter’s cousin literally plays in the NFL, and has faced both Travis and Jason in games, and that was not enough to spark her interest. But you as a supporting fan, gave girls another type to emulate, complete with fashion sense, and authentic enjoyment. Speaking of my daughter’s cousin, he make her only three degrees of separation from you, which she thinks is really cool.
More than your generosity, your success, and your love of football, I admire you for your commitment to your personal expression. My daughter is a deep feeling Scorpio with a Cancer moon and you provide an example of sharing your feelings and experiences as a way to understand them. Good for you, good for your fans, great for my daughter.
Even though today, I’m not sure I could name more than a handful of your songs, and despite being quizzed regularly, I get a failing grade in trying to remember your albums, I now think of myself as a fan. A fan, but not a Swiftie. I wouldn’t insult a real Swiftie by trying to make that claim. However, I do listen to Betty a lot, and even sing it to myself all the time, despite having no idea what it is about. Oh, and I know your cats are named Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button!
Thanks, Taylor for being completely, perfectly yourself, and for giving my daughter such a positive person to admire. She loves your kindness, generosity, and authenticity, and so do I.
PS. I even made this episode, episode thirteen, just for you!
This has been 1000 words or less, I’m Jake Hounds.
Thanks for listening.
One Thousand Words or Less is one hundred percent created by flawed natural human intelligence.
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This is the final episode of Season One. I appreciate all the support and feedback I’ve received. Thank you. Stay tuned for some bonus material over the summer, as I finish my novel. 1000 Words or Less will return in Fall 2024 with all new episodes.
