The reflex, flefleflefleFLEX!

I love 80s music.

Today's choice is "The Reflex" by Duran Duran. With its catchy synth-pop instrumentals and nonsensical lyrics, it's definitely an 80s classic. Sometimes I wish I was an 80s child...

That's a complete lie. ALL THE TIME I wish I was an 80s child!

The music, the ridiculous hair and make-up, the neon trends where everyone wore it, not just 14 year old girls wearing silly little frilly tutus over the top of a pair of leggings... Oh, what I'd give to just to hop in a time machine and go back for a day, maybe even a week, just to see what life was like for young people without mobile phones and instant music downloads!

Don't get me wrong, I love technology - but it's a sad sight to see children under 10 with mobile phones, iPods, internet access, fully-fledged 3D video games and films. I'd say it was an underlying jealousy because I never had such luxuries as a child, but when I think about it, I was perfectly happy with what I had.

My parents weren't the richest of people when my sister and I were kids. We never got the latest technology until several years after it was released because they couldn't afford it. All my friends were at home at Christmas playing with their brand new Nintendo 64s and PS1s, whilst my sister and I would sit playing Super Mario Allstars our old Super Nintendo.

You know what though? I wouldn't change my childhood for the world.

I would sit for hours infront of my little box TV, playing with 16-bit sprites contained in massive grey cartridges. The magic they contained was amazing. All those other kids would deem their games unplayable because they would scratch their discs to buggery within about 5 minutes. My clunky, "old" Super Nintendo? It stuck by me like a trooper - the games never broke and there were never any irritating "LOADING!" screens that actually took up more of your time than the actual gameplay.

I didn't just sit infront of a TV for my whole childhood, though. My sister and I were avid Barbie doll fans. For hours and hours, we would sit together and invent the most complex storylines for the dolls - from setting up their own clothes stores to taking on their own element (represented by the colours they wore) and hijacking an evil man's plans to destroy the world. The evil man was usually a pervert too, strangely...

Even though we would always ask for it for Christmas every year, we didn't need the expensive, lavish Barbie penthouse to give our dolls a home. Instead, we would pull out every video tape that we had and would make a huge flatplan house, complete with bunk beds and a garage.

As we got older, we did end up getting our PS1 and Nintendo 64. Yet, every so often, we would return to playing our old Super Nintendo again. It never failed us. There's something so satisfying about hearing the Mario "you've lost a life" jingle playing out to your opponent. It's almost as if the game is laughing at your expense!

I'm glad that I didn't get everything that I wanted when I was a kid. It's taught me to appreciate the things that you can afford and also, understand the true value of money - if you really want something, you can work your hardest for it and eventually, you will get it. I respect my parents for bringing us up in the way that they did.

This is why I get so angry when I see fellow students being spoonfed money for their weekly shopping and for their alcoholic habits. My parents don't give me weekly financial support, and I don't expect them to - as far as I'm concerned, I'm 20 years old, studying away from home was MY choice and I'm more than old enough to work and earn for myself. I don't get a bursary from Student Finance either - because my parents' household income is over 40,000 a year (their jobs got better over the years, if you were wondering), I have no hope in Hell of getting any support because "my parents earn enough to give me their money". Pfft. No they don't.

It's totally outrageous if you ask me. The people who work hard get no help, yet the ones who sit around on their arses all day get the full non-repayable bursary.

I digress - it's a story for another time.

<3 x