It’s true what they say: eventually you just turn into your parents. You can do whatever you can, but it’s useless…you wake up one day and boom. You have all their habits, you’ve picked up their catchphrases, and now you’re binge-watching episodes of As Time Goes Backwards, the ultra-boring sitcom about a couple who are aging backwards while nothing interesting happens.
I’m not quite there yet, but I did catch myself idly tuning into an episode of Sail Away while I was making my lunches for the week. Making lunches for the week…just like Dad always used to. But even worse, Sail Away is what Mum and Dad always used to settle down to watch every Sunday night. They had no interest in outboard motor repair in real life, mind you, but they just loved watching the continuing adventures of these people doing it on screen. And when I say ‘always’, I really mean it. It was a Sunday night tradition in our household since I was born, and probably before that. Even now that they’re retired, I can’t see Mum and Dad foregoing such an important tradition.
And now here’s me, consuming the same media. Gosh, I used to hate this show, except for the fact that it distracted Mum and Dad for 22 minutes every Sunday night so I could basically do whatever I liked. Now I’m watching these guys repair anchor winches and service boat motors, and it just about counts as entertainment for me. I’m still somewhat surprised at how a person’s tastes can change so much, even if it’s over a couple of decades. Outboard motor repair combined with banter written by 60-year-olds just keeps me occupied now in a way that it never did before…I suppose.
Next thing you know I’ll be hanging out in bars by the docks and rubbing elbows with the actual people in Melbourne servicing outboard motors, because I think watching the show makes me one of them. Just like Dad…
-E.L.