ever since the seeming dark days of high school, i have not-so-secretly loved the spinanes. at 18 i thought rebecca gates was a nothing but a genius when she sang, “did you give up punk for lent?”
i thought about this on the tube this afternoon while reading the new issue of punk planet. about how i got an email from a dear friend recently saying how glad she was that i was stickin’ to my ‘punk rock guns’ and ideals.
walking around london, there is nothing but evidence that the ‘spirit of ’77’ is alive and well.
but that’s not what my punk is all about.
it’s about teaching and learning and growing and rocking and making and creating and laughing and loving and well, being.
it’s not about the dick hebdigian notion about the clothes you wear, the vinyl you buy (either in wardrobe or music or both) or whether or not you consider anarchy politically viable. sometimes i think that’s forgotten about.
some of the best punks i know don’t own anything put out by lookout! or know who henry rollins is (in either career). why? because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. it’s not about credentials. some of the punkest moments i’ve ever experienced were without a tattoo or grommet in sight.
as i’ve gotten older (29 on july 11!), i’ve finally begun to realize that it’s not about what you’ve done or who you’ve met, it’s about what your ultimate ideals are. i’ve seen many sparks lit in the teens, only to be extinquished by 21, but i’ve also been privileged enough to have been a part of awakenings that happened in people twice that age.
each time you make something with your own two hands or purchase something that was produced ethically or make choices that don’t weigh heavy on your heart you are creating your own mini-punk rock revolution.
by daring to follow your own dreams and passions you are shaking up the world just a wee bit, creating teeny tiny revolutionary ripples for the rest of us to add to. and i think that’s pretty neat, even though it has nothing to do with how many 7″s you own or whether or not you think that jawbreaker sounded better pre-blake’s operation.
for the record, i still think that rebecca gates is a genius. because ‘punk’ has little to do with a dresscode or a rulebook. it’s all about all those little idiosyncrasies that make you you and living your life the freest and bestest way you know how.
now go pat yourself on the back for being the punk rock revolutionary that you are. go on, you deserve it.
x
You go girl! Good on you, am sick of people thinking that it’s original to look the right way or buy the right music. It’s what you do not what you look like that counts! Carry on knitting and creating, love the site
Chris (a bloke who can knit, and sew, and other cool stuff too!)
THANK YOU!!! Finally, someone who gets it! I’m tired of hearing certain bands aren’t “punk” and that you have to wear certain clothes, etc all while ignoring the ethical and DIY parts. It’s a lifestyle and a mindset, not a studded jacket/belt or a hairstyle or any of those lovely things that people can see (or probably better not seen, in the case of some tats and piercings).
Hmm…do you think this comes with age? I’m 25, and you’re 29…
Greetings