Many of you know that I am a counselor who specializes in adolescence. I truly enjoy working with teenagers and their families, however sometimes when you spend so much time working with individuals and families in crisis you forget there are plenty of adolescence who are doing great and are making amazing lives for themselves. This summer I had the opportunity to spend time with some of these unique teens and I truly am better for it.
Throughout this summer I spent more time working at Miss Ruth's Time Bomb and because of this had the time to truly become friends with some teenagers who have grown very important to me. One is Hope. Hope is an amazing, vintage, fashion, Goddess. It is her destiny to become an important figure in fashion. She inspires me with her personal style, drive, and intelligence. I really got a sense for how to mix vintage pieces up, beyond the expected. I also was refreshed on the importance of going after ones dreams with the passion of a 16-year-old. Thank you Hope for renewing my childhood passion for fashion and for encouraging me to write my blog more often. I am so blessed to have met you and your fantastic sisters.
I also had the pleasure of enjoying my summer days with our old employee Jess. She was our first Time Bomb girl and as she prepared to move on to her new ballet company, we got to spend time together and know each other more. I tried to emulate her care free attitude. She was in the middle of transition central and she seemed pretty collected about the whole thing. I remember one day we were walking back from the post office together and I tried to pretend that I too was 18-years-old again. I walked with a little less stiffness, tried to ignore the fact that we were walking in the middle of the alley and cars were struggling to avoid us. I also attempted to play it cool as my shorts got caught on a fence and I tripped. All in all, it occurred to me that I was far to aware to go fully back to my teen years, but I certainly enjoyed pretending from time to time. Jess thank you for sharing your world with me, dance your heart out.
Then there was Frankie. Frankie is a 19-year-old boy who lives his life on a stage. He finds a way to entertain those surrounding him at all times! He is totally a blast to be around. His passion for dressing up and singing is contagious. He is truly one of the most talented individuals I have ever met and I know he is going to make his mark in the theatre world. One night he came to puppy class with me, even though he was not raising a puppy, he managed to become the center of attention, volunteering and telling jokes. He brought everyone there so much joy. Frankie, you remind me of the importance of letting your true light shine. Thank you, you truly are a gift!
Finally there is Erin. She is our new Time Bomb employee. She is 19-years-old and really knows how to work hard. It is a pleasure to do a shift with her. She seems to simply love to be working around vintage clothing. She feels like an old soul with the heart of a child. I am so thankful she applied to work with us. When I am with her I am reminded of the importance of being unique. Spending the day working with her is a joy, because she is so full of life. Erin, thanks for being you and inspiring me to keep my edge. You're awesome.
All in all I have been so lucky to know these dynamic, awesome, adolescent individuals. I often hear people talking about how kids just aren't the same anymore and they're right. Kids today have so much more access to information, music, art, relationships. Their worlds are so huge, it is almost impossible for us to understand. But everyday I go to work and try to relate to them. I open my heart and head up and let them teach me about their lives. They are awesome and my life gets better and better because they're in it!
