When you're at the centre of the universe

I've semi-accidentally watched a bunch of documentaries recently about different youth movements from the 80s and 90s, where they're centred in one place and one time, and where they kids involved are convinced they were at the centre of the whole universe

Dogtown and Z-Boys is the alpha dog in this small subgenre, portraying some broke-ass kids who somehow manage to create an entire subculture that proves to be massive influential.

The thing is they're usually right about being at the heart of the universe. Whatever youth scene you interact with is the centre of your universe when you're growing up, and some just spread out further.  They're almost always clustered in one geographical space, amongst a small bubble of a dedicated crew, and luckily there's always one nerd who likes getting in there with the photography and videography, and could document these things, producing little capsules of time

God bless all these kids, in whatever culture they fell into. For one perfect summer, for one moment of innocence before the real world comes crashing in ,they rule the fucking planet, even if they don't get out of southern California.

Me and my mates didn't rule the world when we were 17, not when we were stuck on the arse end of the world. But we tried. 

We all try. That's what being 17 is all about.