My name is Katie Michael, and I like country music. There, I said it. In Eugene, that apparently means I qualify for some type of support group to cure me of my sinful nature.
I love the reactions I get every time I tell someone I listen to country. There’s either the really nice person who forces a smile and says, “Oh…cool,” or I’m confronted with painfully honest people who twist their face into their own version of disgust and say, “Ew.” If I’m lucky, I sometimes come across the beautiful soul who looks at me as if I just announced the death of my puppy.
This needs to stop. There’s no need to feel sorry for me or others like me, and yes, I’m sure there are others. The motives for my actions are simple. I like to listen to the words, words that somehow relate to me and my life. Words that tell a story.
Sometimes I hear a song that makes me reminisce about the past, dream of the future or just enjoy where I’m at right now. Plus, I like to sing along. With other types of music, I often have a hard time relating to the words, if I can even understand them.
For example, I rarely have the luxury of partying like a rock star, I don’t particularly enjoy sharing my umbrella, and I’m pretty sure that big girls do in fact cry. Also, it’s utterly impossible to buy a drank. If there’s a guy out there thinking of testing out that pick-up line, don’t. It won’t work. You might be thinking, “She just doesn’t get it.” You’re right. I don’t. And I’m glad.
For those of you who only associate country music with names like Garth Brooks, you should give it a little test run. It’s come a long way in the past decade, although Garth Brooks is still amazing. Kenny Chesney, my future husband, caters to a young, college-age audience, and his concert in Seattle a few weeks ago was nothing short of a big party with more than 60,000 people. I couldn’t help but notice that he skipped Oregon entirely. He obviously sensed Oregon’s total disregard for the wonder that is country music.
I’m not saying that the country music genre doesn’t have its drawbacks. It can be argued that many of the songs containing strong religious undertones belong on the Jesus Channel for the everyday worshipper. I also understand that dancing to it can sometimes be a challenge, but I can appreciate that it’s about real people living a real life, with all the joys and heartbreak included.
I challenge everyone to stop being a little bit rock ‘n’ roll and become a little bit country today. I bet somewhere in the world of country, there’s a story about your life. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.
My name is Katie Michael, and I like country music. If you don’t like “Who I Am,” that’s OK. I don’t like “The Way I Are” either.
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