In an ever changing world, where “old” is out of date, and “memories” have been updated, nostalgia is no longer favored. When I look back at my childhood, I do not know whether to be happy or sad at this point. I used to remember aspects of my childhood so vividly, I was very in touch with the feelings and experiences. I think this was because they were still semi-relevant to my life. However, with each day that goes by, my childhood memories are getting erased from the world and thereby fading from my memory.
For instance, movie theaters used to be the core of my childhood. When I was younger it was because of the anticipated car ride to the theaters, the grand screen - which almost felt like the entire sky back then- , red velvet seats with leftover popcorn spills around them, and countless snack possibilities were all thrilling for the mini version of myself. Now as a 21 year old, I am still able to visit the movie theater. Today, I would visit to relive the nostalgia, press resume on my childhood, and to overall reflect on my life. Maybe it wouldn't be that deep of a visit, but you get the idea. However, I recently realized that a lot of movie theaters are getting shut down due to the online movie streaming services and their convenience. People seem to be more invested in the idea of watching a movie from the comfort of their own home. Which I completely understand, yet it is heartbreaking that this has to equal movie theaters running out of business.
I still want to hold onto my childhood, I do not see a point in growing up if I cannot remember where I came from. The movie theater example was a surface level analogy for much deeper contributions to my growth. Even with the development of technology, I feel as though the simple pleasures of life are getting diminished.
Overall, my point is that one must be able to look back, and paint a vivid picture, in order to recognize the person they are today. When one is able to visualize who they were, what they experienced, how they grew, and who they became as a result; then they can be completely conscious of their presence. If we begin to erase the feelings and experiences from the past, I fear that we will feel exceptionally lost in the future.
I resonate with how you feel and have been thinking similarly while home for Thanksgiving break, my first time home for a full week in about a year. One of my family’s favorite restaurants closed and it made me so sad that we will never go back and I will never have the chance to introduce the people who are important to me now and in the future to such a staple of my childhood. I feel like the pandemic has really accelerated the rate of change in our social backdrop. As soon as blockbuster and redbox came out decades ago there was a clear shift in the movie consumption business, but I feel like movie theaters, and many aspects…
This is super well-written, and you brought up ideas I hadn't even thought about before. It is sad to see people devalue their past more and more over time. I'm not sure if this is totally natural, of if it's a sad byproduct of a consumerist culture that always wants something new and different. This makes me want to reflect more on whether I've neglected parts of my past, so well done!