When you’re a girl, 12 years old is a big year for you. It feels waaay older than 11 and you want to start being taken seriously. You want to shop for you own clothes and start making your own choices like not eating meat because what did those poor little animals do to us, right?

I was no exception. When I was 12 I wanted to start rebelling. My sister cut my long blonde hair off and I stopped wearing matching outfits from Marks and Spencer and turned to my cousin’s old clothes. I remember a huge purchase for me was this Aztec print woven backpack that I got for the first day of school.

I treasured this backpack and devoured the compliments I got from my classmates, while making sure to tell them that I picked it, not my mom.

This is why I almost lost my mind when I saw the video for Aerosmith’s song “Cryin’”. This bad-ass girl is stickin’ it to her asshole boyfriend when her bag gets stolen at a diner and there it was – my backpack!!(3:23 mark). That was it. I was cool. I picked the same bag as a then un-known Alicia Silverstone who all the boys in my class thought was a babe.

httpv://youtu.be/qfNmyxV2Ncw

The boys never saw the correlation between the bag and hotness so I was not a babe by association, but I didn’t care. I became obsessed with the song and wearing plaid and Doc Martin’s. I started to listen to other Aerosmith songs and imagined what it would be like to have a boyfriend and dance to “Angel” and wondered who Janie was and why she had a gun.

Aerosmith – Angel

Aerosmith – Janie’s Got A Gun

My mind was blown when my dad told me that Aerosmith came out in the 70s and I listened to “Dream On”. You mean Steven Tyler didn’t just scream rock songs and add to the soundtracks of such gems as Mrs.Doubtfire?

This Aztec print is back in fashion now – am I really old enough to be going through a fashion cycle? – and every time I see it, I am reminded of my time with Steven Tyler and how songs like “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” made me cry in Armageddon while Brue Willis gave his life for the good of all. And feather hair extensions? Steven!