Manic Monday: always love without shame

This post kind of goes along with last week’s theme, in that we should accept happiness where we can find it and not let ourselves (or others) dictate where we find it.

And I think that rings true when it comes to what we love, as well. I’m not really talking about relationships or friendships – though I guess that it applies there too – but more our tastes and the kind of things we can lose ourselves in. For an entertainment junkie like me, they would fall under categories like music, film, television, literature, etc.

I’ve never let someone else tell me what I can enjoy, but I do let it affect how or if I express that joy. I’ve always cared about what other people think, but I’d like to believe that’s decreased over time and will continue to decline as I get older. I will say, however, that I’m done with letting the fear of judgment prevent me from embracing my whole and true self.

For example –

So it’s not exactly a secret that I’m a ridiculously huge fan of Taylor Swift. I express my love for her and her music quite often and usually with spastic jazz hands. I respect her deeply as a writer and a creator and there are few people whose work I can relate to with nearly my whole being. But I digress slightly, as this is not a love letter to Taylor Swift (though I imagine I’m likely to pen that someday).

While my affinity for Swifty is most definitely not a secret, I also generally keep it to myself (or hide behind a computer screen in the online world) until I know where someone stands because - for whatever reason - it’s relatively unpopular to actively like Swift, despite her legions and legions of loyal fans.

I’ve encountered similar reactions to my regard for Kristen Stewart, whose acting ability I genuinely admire, along with her no-holds-barred attitude.

If I’m being honest, though, it’s not as if I don’t do the exact same thing. I have a grocery list of things I can’t stand that I will probably judge you for, especially if your loves include Kanye West, misogynistic rap tunes, and pretty much any movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And while there’s a good chance that I would try to argue that my reasons for disliking the above are better than your reasons for your distaste of Taylor Swift or Kristen Stewart, that’s not really true. Who are any of us to determine why or how one thing is better than another? If Kanye West brings joy to your life (almost wrote that with a straight face – See! I’m terrible), then who am I to tell you that you’re wrong?

But it’s not as if we’re going to eradicate judgment anytime soon, at least not completely. We’re flawed humans and it comes with the territory, in my opinion. But if we don’t have the ability to prevent others from making judgments about us, the only thing we can do is to love freely and without shame.

So I ask you, if you could shout your love from the rooftops, what would you shout?

Me excitedly clutching my new copy of Swift's latest album, "1989."