As we lose one icon after another in the remaining days of The Year We Shall Not Name, at least some people are doing a bit of good to remind us this whole human experiment isn’t just some failed endeavor. One of those people is Taylor Swift. The ultra-star has been low-key this holiday season, but according to The Hollywood Reporter she decided to resurrect the Swiftmas tradition for one fortunate fan in Missouri. The man’s name is Cyrus Porter, and the father of nine and grandfather of 49 has reportedly traveled from his country home to both St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee, to see the singer in concert. Swift probably learned about the 96-year-old’s commitment to her live shows through her (unconfirmed) extensive network of whispers, but regardless of how she heard about Mr. Cyrus, she showed up at his house the day after Christmas with her own parents to meet him and lead a “Shake It Off” sing-along on his back porch with many of his family members present. Cyrus was pleasantly surprised, and told the AP today, “I couldn’t believe it. It’s not a miracle, but I’d say it’s pretty close.” The nonagenarian is a fan of classic country, but of the very contemporary Swift he apparently said, “The way she puts on a show is what I like.” He also offered that he was “proud of her to take the time out to do something like that for an old country boy.” Cling to hope where you can, everyone.
