On Kids These Days

I'd known for a while that last week was going to be really busy, but I hadn't expected it to leave me feeling middle aged. Read on for an insight into why I feel old before my time...

1) Last Tuesday I was one of the lucky people who were sad enough to be on gigsandtours the moment Prodigy tickets went on sale back in November. The gig was at the Cliffs Pavillion in Southend - it was basically like watching them in a school hall, which would have been fantastic, but the majority of the people around me could also have fitted in at school disco. It's now been 12 years since Firestarter was released. TWELVE. That means that children born this year will view them the same way that I think of...erm...the Beegees. That's incredible. However, the gig was fantastic, and deep down I really quite enjoyed being surrounded by people young and cool enough to look like they should be in Skins. Which brings me to my next point:

2) The new series of Skins. Is school really like that now? Really? Kids these days...they don't know how good they've got it! My school life pales in comparison...

3) On Wednesday, I went to see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo. I've watched DVDs of his stuff in the past and laughed until I cried, but now (and it's probably just me) he comes across bitter, and angry at the world. So much of his set revolved around the evils of modernisation and political correctness and technology; much of which I agree with, but it wasn't funny. Just a bloke on a stage ranting, and laughing at himself. This made me sad.

4) E-BOOKS. I don't like them. I think I'm alone in this - maybe a book snob - but I stare at computer screens for too long already, there's no way I'm swapping a book, those most wondrous of things, for another screen. I'm dead against them, and rooting for Macmillan in its war with Amazon. I think I'm alone in my allergy to e-readers though, as most people seem to rave about them. I however will cling to books for all I'm worth - I won't let them go the same way as VHS and cassette tapes!

So February begins with me feeling old and as grey as the sky.

tbr