The last of the analog generation

I thought this would be a great name for a book I would probably not write in the future about my time and place on this planet. This all came about when I was at my local shopping centre, Highpoint. The last time I walked into the behemoth that is the centre it was under renovations to make the centre larger. So last Thursday rolls around and being school holidays the place is jammed packed which contributes to a feeling of paranoia and lack of space set in. Unlike Hong Kong where I could be both lost in the crowd and part of a larger following of activity at the same time, this time around I felt out of place and out of step. Stores I didn’t recognize selling products I had no idea existed. Music stores blasted out songs from artists who were born when I started high school whilst teenage kids walked around in designer ugg boots.

I remember coming here as a child and being overwhelmed by the smell of the fish market which these days is currently the site of a café that tries its hardest to be the most happening place in Melbourne north west. Flakes and lobsters have been replaced by lattes and bruschettas and I don’t like it. I have outgrown this centre that gave me my first job and my shortest job as well. The shortest job lasted about three hours. It was actually a tryout to be a commentator for toy camel races. Much like the wardrobe I had to wear, the job just didn’t feel right. I’m too old for Highpoint and I got out of there as soon as I could.

I’m 27 and I came from a generation that seems to have been the last of the “traditional” way of life. A time where the church was still held in some esteem; where the feeling of community was winning the battle against a society becoming more individualistic. I was raised with the belief that your life moves forward and you gather momentum with your life experiences along the way. The feeling of going backwards was starting to hit me and being at the shopping centre was one way of reminding me that what I thought my life would be for the next year is no where near what reality is putting in front of my face right now.

I didn’t like it one bit because I felt that the last 2 ½ years have been for nothing where I know deep down in my soul that there is something bigger in the world. As much as I love my family, I’ve lost the feeling of freedom the most and that is what’s making me agitated being back at home. I was getting into the stride that was comfortable for my life and now I’ve had to pull into the pits and have a “stop-go penalty” of one year due to the disastrous events of Taiwan and it pisses me off. That feeling will change in the fullness of time.