I remember noticing them drinking. I remember seeing that it changed them. Not because they were drunk (they weren't), but because they were at ease, happy, giggling maybe, smiling.
The album title, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, comes from a lyric in this track. I was thinking just that, about the days I left behind and I do often wonder if I'm just writing about the past but then I think how can you write about anything else? It's just a lot of memories of Liverpool.
Growing up in Melbourne with two brothers, I thought I had a pretty clear picture of my childhood. Good times, tough times, the usual family dynamics. But pregnancy has this way of turning you into an archaeologist of your own past. Suddenly, I'm remembering random Saturday mornings when my dad would wake us up early for fishing trips we didn't want to go on.
On a trip to see my folks last July, I noticed how much their health was declining and realized that my time with my parents was running out. It was now or never if I wanted to live close to them. The Gold Coast's property and rental prices have skyrocketed in recent years.
I was conflicted at first about moving back to my hometown After living in Philadelphia for over five years, I was concerned that moving back to my suburban hometown would feel like a step backward. Moving away from home to bigger and better things seems like a rite of passage during young adulthood. But the lockdowns and isolation of the pandemic took their toll.
"We made this in an academic space," Magbanua says. "To have it be screened and experienced in a space surrounded by professionals and people who are established, seasoned and esteemed, it's really surreal, because we were just making this in a classroom a couple months ago."
1. What would you change, if anything, about our experience growing up? 2. What do you admire most about Mom and/or Dad? 3. In what ways did Mom or Dad let you down? 4. What's something you wish you could have told me when we were kids? Why didn't you tell me then? 5. How could I have been a better sibling to you when we were growing up? 6. What's your favorite childhood memory of us?
Barbecues would always start with an impromptu announcement at the table after Sunday morning family breakfast. Mum would begrudgingly agree, knowing the mess my dad can produce in about 20 minutes.
A hug from Mickey Mouse might not be able to make taxes go away, or keep a divorce from hurting, but for a few brief moments, the cartoonish embrace can provide a sense of escapism from the IRS, from heartbreak, and from the claustrophobic pressures of adulthood.
Growing up in South Florida, summer breaks were a blur of pool days, sleepovers, mall trips, and a lot of sleeping in. My days fell into an easy rhythm: I'd roll out of bed around noon, toss on a swimsuit, grab a Diet Pepsi and a granola bar, then flop into a lounge chair by the pool.
