When I was a kid I wanted to be a Flapper.

I wanted to wear those cool clothes and have that edgy haircut and have boys coming to my house in Model T Fords-preferably painted yellow.

I wanted to hang out in Speakeasys

and smoke cigarettes from long cigarette holders and say things like ” that’s the bee’s knees alright ” when something impressed me and I wanted to say in a low sexy gravely voice that could make people blush ” Did you see Anne’s new Sheik? He’s the Cat’s Pajama’s”

Oh wait.

I do say things like ” The Bee’s Knees ” and “Cat’s Pajama’s” and when a guys are off the scale gorgeous I do think of them as Sheiks ( as in Valentino Sexy and if you don’t know who he was, Google him )

And be warned nobody can do the Charleston as good as me- well, nobody my age anyway.

So how did a Punk Rocker born in 1964 find her way back to the 1920’s and come back again as an Honorary Flapper?

Other Grandmothers take their Grand-kids to the Park and to the Beach.

My Grandma sent me on a trip to the roaring 20’s.

My Grandmother and her Sisters- who in their day weren’t just on the cutting edge of the 1920’s it sounded to me like they stood on the blade itself and jumped up and down all over it.

I grew up on their stories about the advent of extreme makeup styles and short hair for women and the music- which seemed to have a preoccupation with fruit, booze and love. 

When they would tell me about having to sneak out to change their clothes so that they could ‘ look modern’ and the lengths they went through just to wear makeup and find boyfriends and get their haircut short I would think how sweet and silly and innocent that all sounded.

One day after we traded a few wild stories that started because we had been discussing my music and motorcycle riding and new black leather jacket  ripped up jeans and black eyeshadow and  safety pin look I remember my Grandmother sort of looked over to one of her sisters and they didn’t laugh or chuckle or tell me how exciting my life sounded.

In fact, if anything they seemed a bit under-impressed.

And then my Grandmother winked and said how silly and fun and innocent it all sounded.

And looking back on it now and looking at the world my Nieces are living in and what it’s like for them now days- I’m starting to think she was was right.