A time of the past

There is this Jack Parrow song that talks about how much he misses things of the past- all sorts of random things about what he did when he was young. Now, i am not really a Jack Parrow fan but as i was driving home today it was playing and it encapsulated what i was thinking at that moment.

I am at home in Durban for the week and thinking about how easy the life here is- washing is done, bed made, food prepared, TV, internet. Easy life. But i know it is only easy because i am here for a week at a time in holidays. If i lived here all the time my parents would harass me about getting a job or studying more or what i was doing with my life. It would never be like it was when you were in school.

When I was in school, i would have all these benefits of home everyday and my parents knew it was normal for me to live at home, so there was little harassment- except about being out late or not studying. But i was a good child, so there was little harassment. Now that i have left home, if i had to come back here after studying or because something happened, then i would not live the good life; it would not be a normal transition for me to move home (regardless of what that new york times article said). I would not be left in peace to lounge around watching E Channel or the Disney Channel; i would be harassed about my next move, about getting a job, about pulling it back together. Maybe there would be one or two weeks of peace but it wouldn't last.

So, after coming to this realization the other day, i have realised that enjoying those homely delights on a regular daily basis is a time of the past. i will never be in that position again. Sure, i am still studying and have long holidays to come home and enjoy it, but i always know it will come to an end. Now, don't get me wrong...i am not saying i want to move home. No no no...my parents would drive me insane. What i am saying is that you should enjoy the homely life you have while you still have it- enjoy someone to look after you, because soon it will be gone and you will be out in the big bad world and you won't be able to slip back home and enjoy those years again.

So, when you hear that Jack Parrow song, listen to it and think about your youth and the things you cannot do anymore. But then there is one line where he goes something like, but if i was doing those things then i would not be doing what I am doing now and would be missing out. So i guess thats the message- we grow up and sometimes it sucks and we want to go home, but we are becoming adults who are doing bigger and better things :-)