Kids these days

When I was 12, I was busy skipping recess so that I could play “zero-point” with my classmates. In class, I would be reading a book hidden below my desk during Mathematics lessons because I just couldn’t care less about multiplication. When I got home, my darling mama would rub off that smudge of dirt on my cheek in exasperation.

At 15, I was in the “act cool” phase. I refused to carry a backpack because I thought it was a very nerdy thing to do. After school, I would go to MacDonald’s at Far East Plaza (that’s how old I am) to grab a strawberry sundae with my friends. I would make notes in my Literature texts in different colours: green representing envy, blue is MacBeth, pink is Lady MacBeth, black for the witches etc.

When I was 12, I was not into fashion. I didn’t know who Coco Chanel was and was wearing my sister’s hand-me-downs most of the time. At 15, I practically lived in jeans and was reliant on my sister’s assessment of what was cool and what wasn’t.

So when I got to Tavi’s blog, I was amazed: she’s a teeny tiny 12-year-old who writes like a seasoned pro and has the most marvellous dress sense! She’s so cool that the sisters behind the super fab Rodarte spent a day with her when she was in their neck of the woods recently, and gifted her with coveted items from their collection.

Gosh! When I was 12, I was writing inane things like “Roses are red/Violets are blue/Sugar is sweet/And so are you” in autograph books. Tavi, on the other hand, is waxing lyrical about fashion design and artistry.

Another genius is 15-year-old Kristin, the editor of the online Prim magazine.

Yes, you read me right. Editor.

The mag is brilliant! I love the styling, the photography and the general vibe of it. In fact, I think it’s so much more edgy and fashion forward than some of our local reads, which tend to pepper their fashion spreads with big labels. Kristin probably has a team of super stylish and artistic fashionistas working with her but as editor, I am pretty sure that every story idea and every storyboard goes through her before it gets published.

I am seriously impressed. They are so savvy and smart and sassy.

Excuse me while I pick up my jaw from the floor.