How we interact with the flow of time and events is a fascinating subject of thought and study. As we gather our memories, collectively and otherwise, we are building a unique package of experiences. Yet these memories are, by definition, a recollection of our perspective on events. It is something subjective and very personal. Even in criminal investigations, different people who saw the same event will retell the story with degrees of variation.
Even beyond the idea of the accuracy of our memory and perception to begin with, we also have to interact with the idea of nostalgia on cultural and personal levels. Sometimes, we actively long for the happy, contented, and nearly imaginary past.
On a cultural level, the paintings of Norman Rockwell provide an excellent example of a cultural nostalgia. We remember the “good old days” that never really existed quite as we envision them. In short, Rockwell painted pictures of times and places that never really existed. There may be a certain degree of truth in his presentation, but as we interact with these pictures generations after the possibility we have to be mindful just of what cultural memory is being presented.
Personally, we have the same sort of problem. Our mind buffs over our memories – removing much of the negative, adding shine to the positive, and giving everything a hazy bright sheen. We can imagine attitudes that were nonexistent, inflections that were only hints, and significance that never really was. It’s the same principle at work when we say “we’ll laugh about it later.” Time changes our outlook.
As I near the halfway point of my collegiate career, I look back with fond remembrance upon the spontaneity, singing, stress, conversations, and experiences that I have had here. Looking even further back, my time debating, hiking, and touring are experiences wrapped in a wondrous glow. I don’t ever want to lose that perspective. It’s warming and pleasant. But looking back with nostalgia ought to never unduly or negatively influence my perspective now. Our nostalgic tendencies are fine until they start to determine how we act today.
How, then, ought we to view nostalgia? This is really a question of perspective. It involves recognition that the memories that we have are subjective. It involves noticing that time changes how we view our past experiences. It involves maintaining a balance between memory and active engagement in the present. How we go about keeping our memories is just as important as how we make them.