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 Mocha”.
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?”
And to my satisfaction she answered, “Alternative”.
Yep, we’ve all been there.