18. My mother wouldn’t let me buy platform shoes (with her money), so I wrote to my grandparents. Here’s their response:
April 20, 1975:
About the platform shoes, I think your mother knows more than you do, and I agree with her. You probably like them because other girls wear them. Don’t be a copycat. They are no good for your feet.
This is all for now.
Lots of love and kisses to you from
Grandpa and Grandma
Between my grandparents and my mother, I wasn’t allowed to look like the other girls. Which was fine, because I rarely did. My mother made my clothes, just like her mother had made her clothes.
I don’t sew, but I got the message loud and clear. I learned how to put my own spin on things. You have to actively fight the urge to be the same as everybody else. Use your feet to lead, not follow.