Smells Like Teen Spirit

Zoë – Age 16

Seeing Zoë brought me back to the days of yore when I was a flannel-clad, blue haired preteen.
Back in 1994, I worshipped the ground Kurt Cobain (R.I.P) walked on, kept a scrapbook of Billie Joe’s magazine covers and made up dance routines to Offspring songs (I’m sorry, that one should have stayed a secret). My music reveries were only the half of my teen angst years.
The other half was consumed by the hours I spent ransacking thrift stores for unique and expressive clothing. Vintage baby tees, all things valour and oversized men’s pants (that I cinched with a flag football belt!) were a few of my favs. Um, wait I should mention that straighteners weren’t invented yet, I had braces and I thought it was okay to wear a shade of lipstick called, “Iced Mochaâ€.
Yea, I could go on forever but you get the idea. I was a gawky preteen who wasn’t afraid to take risks. I saw that in Zoë so I couldn’t help but take her picture.
I immediately knew this girl was young. Her presence emitted a youthful, sense of innocence. You know, it’s the same kind of innocence that let us leave the house in cinched 40’ waist pants or maybe, cut the “high top†off of our $200 Doc Marten’s (yep, I was insane).
Then I asked the ultimate question.
“So, what kind of music do you listen to?â€
And to my satisfaction she answered, “Alternativeâ€.
Yep, we’ve all been there.