No Orlando Or Keira, Just Mamas And Papas

The Age

Monday September 1, 2008

Jess Connor - Jess Connor is a year-11 student at Lauriston Girls' School

THE prospect of spending two weeks alone with the family is daunting enough without the usual pressures that surround teenage life. Mum put it best when she said, "It's about time you had some bonding with the family." This statement was received with as much enthusiasm as my reaction to an announcement of a circular functions test.

These negative thoughts were only dissolved at the announcement of our destination. London, images of the likes of Kate, Keira and KT filled up my mind almost as much as lost-item emails in my school email inbox. Fantasies of meeting Orlando Bloom at a nightclub, discovering the next Pink Floyd in a dark, dingy bar populated my thoughts for the next week.

These stirring visuals blinded me to the reality that my parents would always be accompanying me, extinguishing any hope of freedom, let alone meeting Prince William. It didn't hit me until dad presented me the itinerary entitled "Our Family Holiday".

I could see it already. I envisioned myself as one of those kids who are towed along by their parents on a leash. It was only a matter of time before both my parents came bounding into my room sporting matching Union Jack jumpsuits and "I love my family" hats. What was I going to do?

I survived the plane journey by immersing myself in the world of duty free and inflight entertainment. The thunderous noise of the air passing through dad's nasal passage was torture. I regularly escaped to the confined space that was the bathroom. My escape methods were put to the test, however, when the man in the row behind had an intense outburst of flatulent gas. The next five hours passed with the same buzz as a patronising work ethics lecture from my academic superiors.

London was everything I hoped for, well almost. If you forget the part about meeting a cute guy at a nightclub, it was perfect. Have you ever wondered where all the good-looking guys are that Melbourne just doesn't have to offer? London. I can only survive one itinerary activity at a time without hearing a cute British accent. For a quick fix I suggest eavesdropping or for the more addictive tragic I would play the old "I'm from Australia, where's Westminster Abbey?"

Much to my surprise, I enjoyed myself a lot more than expected. Thankfully, the parents "trusted" me and thought I was old enough to browse shops unaccompanied; it was a big step for them. I would regularly escape to the vintage music shop in Regent Street, Sergeant Pepper. It was like being teleported back in time.

There was a different section of the shop for each era of music. I usually found myself lost in the world of the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Bee Gees. As a member of "today's youth" - as Anna Coren would say - I have not yet had the experience of such music. The catchy rhythms and addictive harmonies kept me coming back almost every day.

One rainy afternoon I had lost myself in a copy of The Beatles: Anthology (which was actually written by the Beatles themselves) when I got an anxious phone call from mum, ranting some sort of parental sentence at me: "Where are you? You can't just walk off in a strange city like this!" I rolled my eyes. Mothers, can't live with them ... end of sentence. After giving her a mild heart attack, I convinced her to come to the store with dad.

I guess that I never considered the fact that my parents were teenagers once, too. My visuals of them both back in the day comprised of tie-dyed T-shirts and Kombi vans. I stand corrected, however. I soon found that dad shared my new-found passion for the music of the '60s and mum introduced me to the Mamas and the Papas and David Bowie.

However, we, generation Y, have a tendency to distance ourselves from our parents. It has always been the case. Once you hit year 7 or even year 6, there is a natural desire to be independent.

For such social creatures, it is strange that humans feel the urge to distance ourselves from the ones who love us. It hasn't always been the case. As young children, we thrived on the security that the parents offer. Kindergarten tantrums were often the result of separation. Many years later, it is a different story. Instinctively we move away from the nest and take our first flight towards our future.

I wanted to reach out and hug my parents. Finally there was evidence of an ounce of normality within my parents. Finally I had something I could talk to them about, other than the outcome of my mid-year school report.

The last few days passed with considerable ease and without any hesitation on my part to be seen with my parents. I thought that if I couldn't bear to be seen in a foreign country with my parents, what was it like when I was home?

I was surprised when I laughed at one of dad's jokes and when mum found this cute dress in Jane Norman. I guess parents aren't so bad after all.

Francis Bacon put it best when he said: "Families are like potatoes. The best parts are underground."

Jess Connor is a year-11 student at Lauriston Girls' School.

© 2008 The Age

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