The most inspiring woman
Once upon a time, I had just moved on my own and lived in the only truly modern city in the Netherlands named Rotterdam.
Being a young person in a big city, trying to make sense of the world, I had a bit of an obsession with reading ALL OF TEH MAGAZINES. It was a good way for me to grasp an understanding of the way other people dressed, wrote, thought, lived. To get a glimpse into the lives of other people. Going into café’s, I’d order a single coffee and read anything I could get my hands on. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t read, but I very much enjoyed beautiful art and imagery. At a time when the internet wasn’t the best source for that. Instagram, Pinterest and DeviantArt not having been conceived, just yet ‘nd all.
After a couple of months of browsing through just about all the available Dutch and English magazines, I started getting familiar with the journalists, writers, photographers and models. It wasn’t long before I had to start noticing a particular, very eye catching model. She was popular apparently, because she appeared in fashion shoots on a regular basis. One magazine after another. There her face was again, and again. And she didn’t look one bit like all of the other models. Indeed, 80+ year old women with pink hair can be models too! Or at least, this particular Senior Citizen could. And boy, did she rock her editorials like nobody’s business.
One day I’m standing in line at the only vegan store in town (being vegan was not yet the rage it is today) and who’s standing in front of me: Granny Model With Pink Hair. I didn’t exactly now her name, but being an admirer of her work, it certainly felt like I had happened to bump into a celebrity of some sort.
And so I did what a teenage granny groupie is to do: I approached the Pink Haired Senior Model. Being quite shy and insecure of how to take initiative to talk to her, I gathered all my courage and asked her if she wasn’t the one I had spotted just about everywhere in the past few months. It was my lucky day, her response couldn’t have been more inspiring! ‘Why yes, my love! Thank you for noticing. Did you happen to catch the latest edition of xyz magazine? I’m in there too!’ She responded proudly with a big smile.
Carrying the burden of prejudice about models and senior citizens, I guess - I had expected a grumpy, bothered or arrogant response. But no. All my pre-conceived notions about both models and grannies were proven utterly pointless in just that one sentence. In front of me stood a little bundle of joy, inspiration and not giving an F. Shattering one cliché at a time. A humble, joyous and inconventional 80yo.
Up to that point- apart from a gig here or there- I hadn’t considered modeling as an actual opportunity. But this remarkable meeting most certainly inspired me to go on my way and at least attempt to be like her. Making the world a bit more joyful, one image at a time. And so I found my joy in modeling.
All odd looks and judgemental whispers be damned.
There is someone out there whoms grandma’s life lessons I’m most grateful for.
PS: Pictures above are not said lady. I haven’t spotted her for many years, but if anyone happens to recognize her from Dutch magazines in the early 2000's, I’d be thrilled for a name or some scans.
