Have you ever come across yourself thinking back to the ‘good old days’ when things are much simpler, much happier? How much you want to go back to that exact moment, wanting to relive it? How happy you were? Looking back, you miss everything about it.
Nostalgia, the feeling that washes over us when we're transported back in time by something like looking back at old photographs. It's the gentle tug at our hearts that bridges the gap between our past and our present, reminding us of the people we once were and the experiences that shaped us to the person we are today. Nostalgia can appear in many different ways, whether it's reminiscing about a beloved childhood home, longing for the carefree days, or remembering the first bite of a favourite meal that brings back fond memories.
No matter where we come from or what our individual experiences may be, we've all felt that rush of emotion when we stumble upon an object from our past. In this way, nostalgia serves as a universal language that connects us all through shared experiences. It’s bittersweet. It’s sweet because we are remembering the best times of our lives and bitter from the sense that we will never be able to relive them and that they’re gone forever.
We tend to think that things were much better in the past when we are unhappy with the way things are today. Remember your trip with your family to the beach? Good times. Well, what about the time when you ran out of gas in the middle of the road or when you lost your phone or got your money stolen? Without knowing it, we are overlooking the small details that might have made this trip a ‘not so good’ trip. You remember the trip as being happier than it actually is. One can say that the reason for this is that the brain has selective memory. We fail to remember the memories that might harm the ‘perfect trip’ picture in our mind.
Finding a balance is the key to dealing with nostalgia's bittersweet embrace. We should treasure our memories, appreciate the past, and recognize the influence nostalgia has made on the person we once were. However, we must also understand that nostalgia is a window through which we see our lives. It is not a replacement for the present moment, and it shouldn't stop us from pursuing our goals and desires.