"The one with growing up at the speed of light..."

The Herald Sun - in one of its columns yesterday depicts the lives of youths trying to live within the confines of their parents' big shoes and missed dreams. Picking through the phrases and sentences across the article; narrates the efforts of new-age teenagers, thriving on conquests which decades ago are deemed almost taboo for their meek and docile age. Imprinted, were names of teens such as young Jessica Watson, Jordan Romero and Abby Sunderland on the mass media, treading bold conquests for a slice of a disambiguate immortality. Although the masses easily perceived these as brave, courageous and inspiring acts, I find that it would be almost distressing not to see their Herculean efforts as almost an act for self-atonement for precedent aspirations. Are these the effects of parents trying to (re)live their lifelong dreams through their childrens' lives? Yes, these are excellent examples of instilling a thriving sense of self-accomplishment in aspiring childs I admit - but what happens when we motivate our children too much for their own good, and (I feel) in return erode them of the simple joys and experience a normal teenager would have in their lives?

I say this, because when I was their age I was barely coping with hormonal changes concocting in my gut; adapting to my developing sense of attraction for the other gender, had just initiated my interest in the sport of bowling and developed a sense of selfless loitering amongst my peers from school. You know, normal (stupid) stuff teenagers would do.

Or I'm just expressing a sense of potent jealousy of their accomplishments, maybe.

I admit, it's hard being a kid in today's society. Having the need to upheld the requirement of latest trends and public expectations while in the same time cope with peer-pressure, albeit the joys of kinder discoveries and marvels of tender achievements that is growing up. I am genuinely inclined to believe that toddlers nowadays are cursed with having a worryingly short span of this growing up period, but instead have more grown-up time due to the increased haste in being young adults. Various definitions sprout out like mushrooms after downpours; from 'tweens' to 'kidults' - bridging the already vague fine line between age gap transitions. Talk about giving new meaning to the term 'baby-boomers'.

As far as my memories would serve - I was born a baby, was a teen and now an adult. Now the cascade's a totally different ascending semantic, what with these new terms being thrown into place. I'm confused, and I'm sure these kids are too.

Then again, with a hurry to fit into their own shoes - NST reports a somewhat more hypocritical trend found prominently in Asian countries. A trend arising in a generation, many are labeling the 'Boomerang Generation'. More and more young adults paving their own lives opting not to pack their bags out of their parent's house, but instead into them.

Everyone are quick to justify their reasons of doing so, and to each their own. Although I live thousands of miles apart for the time being, I would find it extremely difficult to leave the warm clutches of these people;

Even though Atiqah and Papa roam the confines of Taman Orkid, KK most the year round for work and school, but in the occasional times of festivities, holidays and breaks - our family would now be complete. And when it's complete, it would be the most wonderful feeling of warmth one could muster. Now with the addition of Fifah whom everyone has taken into the kinship so very warmly; gives me more reasons enough to keep everyone close for the time being.

I guess the need for social fulfillment such as these, nurtures from such closely-knit childhoods. There's just so much wonderful history in our family memoir dating to our first falls to our latest achievements in our lives today - each and every one of them shared amongst us all, through the eyes and visions of our very own Mama and Papa. For what its worth, thick through thin - I am proud to have been blessed with the childhood I had; even if at times I wanted to grow up very fast.

At most, I do hope that my (future) young-lings one day can experience what I had growing up and would not grow up as quickly. I've also learned this from virtue of my parents;

It's when you see you children as adults, that you realized how fond those memories were seeing them growing up.

Athough I'd reckon Atiqah is a product of this new 'tween' and 'kidult' generation - thanks mom and dad, for now letting us five grow up so fast when we were your young boys and girl(s).

-JeP

P.S : Happy Father's Day to someone I very much look up to in influencing many aspects in my life and upbringing - the goatfather. My very own beloved father Masarudin Mohd Yusof; now a self-proclaimed "petani zaman moden".

[Dad with his three (fully) grown-up sons, 2010.]

Thank you for keeping us on a constant short-leash in our adolescence, but in the same time giving us the space to pursue our own lives. On the day the world celebrates these heroic figures in their lives, all of us are proud to deem you the same in ours. Thank you for always entertaining our small requests and for all your support. Happy Papa's Day, dad.