Sunday, March 13, 2011

Nostalgia on the fast lane

"When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things – not the great occasions – that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness” .- Bob hope

The new virus which has struck most of us seems to be that of Nostalgia. These days, I find articles on nostalgia every where. In the newspaper (especially in open page, letters to the editor and magazine section of the Hindu), in blogs, among conversations, in week-end parties, TV shows…. almost every where and even psychologists seem to be recommending this as NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) technique.

They say reminiscing people are healthier and report higher self-esteem and feel more positively about friendships and close relationships. Studies also reveal that the occasional detour down our memory lane can pep our spirits significantly.

When you are having one of those down times, think of an happy incident in the past like the memories of your simple childhood, vacation, the growing up, friends, food, simple times with your cousins, grandparents etc., and you will be uplifted.

So, It’s nostalgia fever everywhere….

And why not?

The best challenge to escape the complexities of our fast life is to cling to the sweet memories of our past despite the oft-heard advice to live in the moment and enjoy the present etc…


Most of us seem to be blaming everything in today’s shrinking world about the culture decadence, moral values , the hurdles of fast life, fast food, fast mobility, fast communication, today’s generation, the compromises etc…….

But what is to be marked is that ……….

Till a few years back it was only the privilege of elders to talk about their ‘zamaana’or their 'kaalam'(time). Now, when I see Times of India, student edition (exclusively printed for school children as part of newspaper in education) even the teens want to turn back their clock. The students write about their past memories, some thing which happened 5 years back and yearn for their school life……Looks like even nostalgia is travelling at a fast pace in this age of faster lifestyles and faster and shorter childhood.

Time seems to change everything even the feelings of the young. Nostalgia virus has struck the young ones too and the cure it seems is to romanticize the past.

It is very natural…. The little costless luxuries of our past gets magnified and comforting to our soul and mind in this nothing seems to be constant world….but we are still making memories for our future. Aren’t we?
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5 comments:

  1. My favorite way to pass the time is to think of happy events, both in the past as well as the future( in my imagination)and the sadness of the present gets nowhere the chance to be felt. It is like 'Time stands still' for me both while in the past as well as the future. I cannot explain, but it really makes me fell good.

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  2. well, i think its all time phenomena and not just now a days that people have started talking about their past what we call as "Nostalgia".....
    may be bcoz of print and electronoc media and the social metworks of course we are able to show our feeling easily to others....
    i like to go through olden days fotos of the frnds n family with me specially the Black n Whites one, they look so natural.....

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  3. yes nostalgia fever is in the air... I seem to be living each day in it .. reminiscing what used to be ..

    lots of memories LOTS of them

    Bikram's

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  4. even nostalgia is travelling at a fast pace in this age of faster lifestyles and faster and shorter childhood. - so true!

    and Nostalgia is such a nice feeling :)

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  5. @ Rama- Thanks and really nice to know that you are a positive person.

    @Irfanuddin- You could be right, may be it's more dominant becos of the social media.

    @Bikram- yup, most of us have sweet memories and seem to be living them each day.

    @Uma- I agree too, It feels nice!

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