The Generation X Files

When I was little I loved everything Pink Panther. I’ve always enjoyed a good laugh and I’m a fan of silly comedy so it was perfect.

I especially liked the theme tune and my mum bought me a Henry Mancini record that included it. The song before it was called The Baby Elephant Walk. We used to listen and dance to both, every night, when I got home from school.

I can’t remember how it started but, each night we would circle the coffee table as mummy and baby elephant. We would do a little procession in time with the tune, swaying our lazy behinds. Our “trunks” (extended arms) would be exploring from side to side. 🐘🐘 (Adorable, right?)

Then, the PP theme would begin… dada, dada, dada, dadadadadada…. We were no longer cutesy elephants. Now the game was afoot……

It began slowly with my mum chasing me round the table – I, the panther, my mum the bungling detective. The music starts off slow and I always had a head start. I’d creep on my tiptoes like a slinking cat.

Round and round the table we’d go, giggling and squealing after only a few seconds. It would end if I was ‘captured’. Or if we got too dizzy – it got crazy sometimes and we were circling a very small table!

Over time, this game morphed into my mum sometimes pretending to be Cato! Let’s say for example, I’d come home from a night at a friend’s house. I’d open the front door and the flat would be empty….. It meant one of two things;

1. My mum had forgotten something and ran out to the shop
2. She was hiding somewhere (in our tiny flat!) and if I didn’t find her in time, she would leap out and ‘surprise attack’ me with her ‘mum fu’! 👀

We started every day jive-dancing in the kitchen. I was not a morning person but it’s hard to feel grumpy after that! My mum knew what she was doing!

It might explain why I’ve never been in a rush to ‘grow up’. My mum has never really told me to. 😜

I don’t think we should completely lose touch with our ‘inner child’. I don’t mean the bratty parts! It’s just a shame we have to get so serious as we get older. Your real joys in life are often only pursued in your ‘free time’. Or left behind completely.

My mum knew the importance of childhood. How fleeting it is. She encouraged me to not wish my life away impatient to be older. I was a very serious child at times so my mum made sure it was balanced with plenty of fun!

It might have slightly backfired! I may be aging physically but I think my brain stopped around 13. It’s probably why I still laugh at the same punchlines from the Bumper Book of Jokes!

It’s not that I’m never mature or responsible – I don’t mean that. It’s just that I don’t want to always deal with the everyday noise of being an adult.

My mum describes it as my ‘bubble’. I suppose it is. I step into it when I’ve had enough of the ‘real world’. I can look out from it but I’m protected. It’s a force field against negativity. It’s a cool place to hang out and recharge. There’s cool music inside. I can smoke in there and it makes cool effects. When I’m ready I can pop it and I feel a little…. lighter.

Maybe you have something similar yourself…if not, maybe you should?

I chose today’s post title because it’s from another album that instantly makes me think about dancing with my mum. It’s from the Paul Simon album Gracelands. It’s still one of my favourite albums of all time. It’s the reason it took me so long to get started on this post today! I only meant to listen to one song but it’s impossible not to listen to the rest.

At the time it came out I was 11ish so I didn’t understand a lot of the meaning behind the words. I just remember the joyful music and dancing and singing along with my mum. Even now I can’t sit still when I listen to it!

He was kind of ahead of his time with the track from my title. I’m linking to it at the end if you’d like to listen for yourself. Over to the handy Google AI summary if you prefer:

Google AI Overview

Paul Simon’s “The Boy in the Bubble” is a metaphor for living with both hope and dread, using the literal “boy in the bubble” case of David Vetter as a starting point. The song juxtaposes technological and societal advancements with violence and chaos, suggesting that people build physical and emotional walls around themselves to cope. Despite the dark themes, the song’s recurring line, “These are the days of miracle and wonder,” ultimately emphasizes a message of optimism and the beauty that can still be found in the world

Maybe I didn’t fully understand the lyrics at the time but perhaps some of the words filtered through. Sounds a lot like my bubble!

So I’d like to say thanks to my mum for filling my childhood with days of miracle and wonder. It’s thanks to you I’m optimistic and still look for the beauty in the world.

Even if it’s from the safety of my bubble!

Citizen Jane x