Nostalgia
The next topic in my writing group is 'nostalgia'. A number of thoughts come to mind. First, what is nostalgia? I think of nostalgia as a momentary longing for the past. I checked one dictionary and the meaning given was "the state of being homesick," or "a wistful abnormal yearning for a return to a past period or condition." There's a kind of sentimental side to nostalgia; one is usually nostalgic about something one felt deeply about. There's a bittersweet aspect too; we know we can't ever go back to that past time, and, even if we could, we know in our heads that it probably wasn't all that wonderful (that is, no more wonderful than our present), yet we love to dwell on it, deliciously torturing ourselves with trying to remember it, relive it or recreate it.
What triggers nostalgic moments? Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, a line of poetry, a painting, a photo - almost anything could evoke nostalgia. I think for my generation, music (and here I date myself by saying early rock and roll) is a powerful reminder of the past - the "when we were young" time. Sometimes you can see this when our aquafit instructor puts the "old rock 'n roll" CD on: here you have a group of (mostly) women of a "certain" age singing along with Elvis to "Don't Be Cruel" or to the the Everley Brothers "Wake Up Little Susie." One of the favourites seems to be "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" - a rather fun little ditty that was popular around 1960. This song usually causes someone to remark something like "I'm back in Grade eight"!
The other evening I was driving along behind an antique auto, a 1958 Ford Fairlane, white with gold trim, in mint condition. The driver was handling the car with skill, almost it seemed to me as if he'd had a love affair with that vehicle for the past 50 years! Did I know someone in the past who drove a 1958 Ford Fairlane? Did I spend a few nostalgic moments as I drove along? Did I experience a moment of intense longing, a wistful yearning for another time? I'll never tell.
What triggers nostalgic moments? Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, a line of poetry, a painting, a photo - almost anything could evoke nostalgia. I think for my generation, music (and here I date myself by saying early rock and roll) is a powerful reminder of the past - the "when we were young" time. Sometimes you can see this when our aquafit instructor puts the "old rock 'n roll" CD on: here you have a group of (mostly) women of a "certain" age singing along with Elvis to "Don't Be Cruel" or to the the Everley Brothers "Wake Up Little Susie." One of the favourites seems to be "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" - a rather fun little ditty that was popular around 1960. This song usually causes someone to remark something like "I'm back in Grade eight"!
The other evening I was driving along behind an antique auto, a 1958 Ford Fairlane, white with gold trim, in mint condition. The driver was handling the car with skill, almost it seemed to me as if he'd had a love affair with that vehicle for the past 50 years! Did I know someone in the past who drove a 1958 Ford Fairlane? Did I spend a few nostalgic moments as I drove along? Did I experience a moment of intense longing, a wistful yearning for another time? I'll never tell.
Labels: nostalgia
posted by mamie @ 8:06 PM
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