With the acute awareness of my age came an astute realisation of my tendency for risk aversion masqueraded as steadfastness.

I wanted Lana del Rey’s Born To Die album (not The Paradise Edition). Jeff gave me Honeymoon as my birthday present instead. Not because Raven forgot the hint I dropped last month to remind her dad which album I wanted in case he wanted to get me something, but because the shop didn’t have that particular one in stock.

“I don’t know any of these songs, Jeff,” I explained after asking him if I could return it to JB Hi-Fi and get the one I actually wanted.

“That’s the beauty of records,” he said. It’s all about discovery and getting to know your favourite artists on a deeper level.

I’ll be damned if he wasn’t 100% spot on.

Because now I can’t stop playing the records back to back and back again I’m starting to fall in love with Lana del Rey with every passing minute.

“What do you think of her music, Jeff?” I asked.

“It’s eerie,” he replied.

He probably meant ‘ethereal.’

I reckon it’s brilliant.

Anyway, happy birthday to me.

*Raven at 8 years old