What do Stranger Things, the Classic Mini Nes, and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast have in common? Nostalgia, of course! Sweet, delicious, melancholy nostalgia; linked to memories, taste, smell, even touch.
Nostalgia has been getting a bad rap recently. I don’t quite understand why. I find that companies have finally woken up to the fact that teenagers don’t run the world and don’t have much disposable income. They don’t have attention spans that can accommodate watching an entire film and can’t seem to follow the intricacies of viewing a TV series.
We, the 30 to 40+ set are finally being recognised as valid human beings that love a good movie, need to lose ourselves in an intricate series, and have cash to spare.
I remember my bike when I was a kid, the same bikes that appear in Stranger Things. Not to mention the clothes. I still have some of those garments. Hell, I still wear velour sweaters today. The whole vibe reminds me of carefree days as well as other great series and movies. And I don’t think nostalgia is any less valid if you haven’t actually lived the experiences depicted; it’s still that same feeling.
I remember the hours going by playing Super Mario and delicious snacks. I remember seeing the animated version of Beauty and the Beast at the cinema. We remember and it’s a warm, fuzzy feeling.
I like my life. Sometimes, more and more often, I love my life. I wouldn’t want to be a kid again, much less a teenager. But there are so many responsibilities and obligations, to-do lists and other boring things that come with being an adult.
That’s where the pull of nostalgia comes in. “A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past.” It’s not the actual moment or thing that I’m longing for, it’s the feeling. The sensation of not worrying. The biggest decision was what flavour of ice cream to choose.
With the world going to hell in a tugboat all around us, nostalgia is an escape. Simpler times, with no stress or worries, no life-changing decisions, a clean slate and our whole life in front. The way I see it, nostalgia is also part of our present moment. What we’re doing now will be our nostalgia in a few years. I feel nostalgia about my first Nokia and that was only about 15 years’ ago.
In other words, we’re continually creating nostalgia. So why not use this to live a good life? That way we can have nostalgia all the time and the present will be our future and our past at the same time. Bit of a mind fuck, but in any case, I’m lovin’ the nostalgia. That’s why I still have Happy Meals at McDonalds and look for doors to Narnia inside wardrobes.
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